Other Worlds Than These
by Vossago
Summary: Konata Izumi: Ordinary high school student by day, interdimensional agent for the Eclipse organization by night. It's time for her to make some serious decisions about where her life is going, and that could mean leaving the world of Lucky Star behind.
1. Breathe in the Air

**Author's Note: **This is a weird little story idea that's been floating around in my head for a while now. I figured I might as well write it all down and share it with the fanfic readers of the Internet. Hope you all enjoy it, and tell me what you think.

I do not own Lucky Star or any property that I use as a crossover ( and as the story goes on there will be PLENTY of crossovers). I'm just a guy with a computer, a twisted imagination, and a big "what if" question.

So with all that out of the way, hope you enjoy it! 

* * *

"Come on! We're almost done here!"

Konata led her group of adventurers up to the final area of the tunnels. The chambers were dimly lit by torchlight. They had wandered through the maze of passageways for several hours, the last sign of civilization they had seen had been a small outpost set up near the entrance, which was itself far outside of the limits of the nearest village. Their quest had been going exceptionally well, and assuming they could just make it past whatever was up ahead...

A huge roar and a burst of flame from the entrance to the chamber. Honestly she had been hoping for something more like a slightly larger-than-average slime, but it just always had to be a dragon, didn't it? "Better stop here for a minute. Everyone ready?"

"I'm ready when you are," replied Yamanka. "Looks like we should use ice spells?" Yamanka usually supported from the rear, since he had the most magical ability of the party.

Gatongo was obviously excited, and was laughing uncontrollably. Still, he was an experienced rogue, so they put up with his unique mannerisms.

"Here's the plan," Konata explained. "Looks like we're facing a dragon, so Gatongo can distract him. Yamanka, ice spells should work here. I'll go right in and attack close-range. This shouldn't be too hard."

The first thing they noticed as they charged into the final chamber was that the dragon was much larger and more powerful than they had anticipated. Gatongo tried to run past, but was instantly thrown aside by the claws.

"You okay?" Konata shouted.

Gatongo, still laughing (something must be wrong with him), replied, "Yeah. I can still go on. This looks like fun!"

"What are you waiting for?" shouted Yamanka. "Get in there and finish this thing off!"

Typical strategic positions - surround the enemy and attack from all sides. Three against one.

Konata got out her sword, ran in, ready for the attack - when the dragon shot out a huge burst of flame, sweeping across the room, hitting the entire party. Gatongo was killed instantly in the blast. Yamanka struggled to get up, so far unable to get in a single spell against the beast.

"No time to worry about him. We can still do this!" Konata yelled. "We've come too far to be stopped!"

She charged ahead, sword raised, and stabbed the dragon directly in the neck. Roaring in pain, it swiped blindly, throwing her aside. Yamanka cheered in triumph - soon regretting it. The dragon charged towards him and he was crushed. Konata was on her own now. She turned around and prepared for another attack. She could still do this -

Still thrashing around, the tail of the monster hit her full force in the middle of her charge, and she was thrown against the wall, the life draining out of her...

* * *

Chapter 1

All your life will ever be

* * *

_Your party is dead. Respawn at home point?_

Konata put her head down on the desk in front of her. There goes all that experience, all that time spent on that dungeon... It had taken hours to get that far. Completely unfair boss battle.

**yamanka:** orz

**gatongo:** rofl that sucks

**yamanka:** shoot, we were so close

It was never too late to try again...

**konakona:** who wants to try again? we've got time

**gatongo:** rofl, sorry, i dont, lol

**yamanka:** me neither. dont u have school tomorrow kona?

School? Yes, she did, but wasn't there still time? How long had she been playing for, anyway? Turning to look at the window, she noticed that it was already starting to get lighter outside, which was all the answer she needed.

Damn it. Didn't time just fly by online?

**konakona:** ;; see u tomorrow then... (-_-)

Not even tomorrow, more like later today. The clock said it was already 5 A.M. Konata thought back over the past few days, and realized this would make... three all-night gaming sessions in a row. In other words, a vacation well-spent. She logged off. Time to get ready for school, then. It was the end of spring break, so today would be the start of her second year at Ryoo High School.

Kagami and Tsukasa had arrived at school early. They stood outside the front doors, talking while they waited for the first bell to ring.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, guys!"

Kagami looked over and saw Konata running towards them. "Look who decided to show up today. I was worried you'd be late for the first day of school," Kagami said. And in all honesty, that would not have surprised her.

"I was up all night on a raid. We almost got a ton of rare items before the final boss just completely overwhelmed us, so I'm going to have to try again tonight," Konata replied.

"I can't believe you. You actually stayed up all night playing a game? On a school night, too!"

"Not just one night, it was more like two or three..." Konata said. "You can't waste a perfectly good vacation, right?" Kagami stared at her in disbelief, completely unable to think of any response.

"Excuse me, can I ask you something?"

They turned around to see a boy in a Ryoo student uniform with medium-length brown hair. "Uh, sure. What do you need?" Kagami asked.

"I'm a new transfer student. Jason Ellis. I'm from America. It says I'm going to class 2-B, the teacher's name is..." He looked at the paper in his hand. "Kuroi Nanako. Do you know where that is?"

"That's where me and Tsukasa are going. Just follow us," Konata replied.

"I didn't realize we were getting a new student in our class..." Tsukasa said.

"Really? That's interesting," Jason replied. Dropping the subject, he added, "So are all of you in my class, then?"

"Kagami isn't," Konata said. "Come to think of it, this is the second year you'll be all by yourself. Don't get too lonely, now!"

"I'm fine!" Kagami snapped. "I have other friends than just you two, you know."

The first bell rang. "We should get going," Jason said. "Nice to meet all of you. I figure I should meet as many new people as possible. What are all your names?"

"I'm Izumi Konata. These two are Tsukasa and Kagami."

"Got it. I'll try to remember that," he said. "So where's the classroom?"

"Just follow me," Konata said.

She really wasn't looking forward to going back to class. All the practical information to prepare them for the real world. Just the thought of it made her feel tired. Never mind all those sleepless nights, this was what really wore her out.

* * *

"Welcome back, everyone. Hope you all had fun over your break, but it's on to a new year now, so work hard! My name is Kuroi-sensei, for those of you who are new here." Nanako Kuroi looked at the less-than-enthusiastic faces of her homeroom. She remembered to add, "And speaking of new students, this is Jason Ellis, who transferred in from America. I expect you'll give him a nice welcome."

She decided not to add that she had only heard anything about a new exchange student two days ago. She was supposed to present a responsible image to her students, and that included actually knowing who was in her class. Where had this kid come from, anyway? Well, Vermont, of course, according to the file, but... Something was weird about the situation.

Jason stood up. "Thank you. My name is Jason, I'm excited to be starting this new year with all of you."

The day had hardly even begun, and Konata was already having trouble keeping her eyes open. No way she could make it through an entire day of class... Her head fell forward on the desk, and she fell asleep shortly after.

She woke up once it was time for lunch. Had she really just slept through half the day...? She had some faint memories of history class, maybe math... She sat with Tsukasa and Miyuki, and the new student had already joined the table.

"Hey, everyone," Konata said.

"Wait... don't tell me your name yet, let's see if I can remember it..." Jason said. "You're... Konata, right?"

"Yeah." She took her seat.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me find the classroom," Jason said. "It would have sucked to be late on my first day of school here."

"Uh, sure... no problem," Konata replied. It was a little awkward suddenly having a boy sit with them. Usually guys didn't seem to notice her or her friends at all.

"You speak Japanese very well," Miyuki commented. "How long have you been studying it?"

"Oh... about... five years now, I think," Jason said. "Thanks, I've been working hard on it."

"By the way, I'm going to need the notes from today's lessons. Can I borrow them from someone? I kind of... wasn't paying attention," Konata asked hopefully.

"Oh, umm... I actually forgot to write anything down," Tsukasa said. "Sorry..."

"There wasn't too much today," Jason replied. "You can use mine."

"You're going to regret that later, trust me." Kagami had just arrived from her own class. "She's just going to start asking you for your work every day if you let her. Konata, you never do any of the work on your own..."

"I can't help it if it's impossible for me to concentrate," Konata said, disappointed.

"Hey, I really don't mind," Jason said, handing her the notes. "Just get them back to me when you're done."

Konata's face brightened immediately. "Thanks!"

Kagami just sighed. "Well, maybe now you won't be copying my work anymore, now that you've made such a great new friend..."

"Of course I still need you, Kagamin. I can't just depend on one person, you know?"

Changing the subject, Miyuki cut in. "If you don't mind me asking, Jason-kun, how has it been for you attending school in a foreign country? I've thought about studying abroad myself before."

Jason smiled. "Well, the uniforms are something new for me. Adjusting to speaking the language all the time, everything like that... And apparently I'm now Jason-kun instead of just Jason."

Konata suddenly spoke up. "You're a transfer student, so... Do you have any secret powers or a hidden identity? Because in manga and anime, transfer students are always like that!" She stood up and leaned in close to him, there was a bit of an awkward moment...

"Umm... no. I'm just a regular guy... Sorry if you're disappointed?"

"Honestly, I can't believe you would say something like that, Konata..." Kagami sighed.

* * *

About a week had passed since the first day of school. Konata was going over to the Hiiragi residence to visit Kagami. She'd been sick that day. Jason decided to head back to his apartment and finish unpacking - he'd really been putting that off, there were just too many distractions being in Japan.

He walked home alone, enjoying the warm weather. He looked at the train schedule when he arrived at the station - it would be a while until the train to Nakano arrived. He didn't mind waiting - after all, there wasn't much to look forward to. Nothing ever happened here, if the past two weeks had been any indication. And it was all so...

Well, boring.

His phone rang, which interrupted his thoughts. He hadn't given this number to anyone at school yet, so it must have been somebody from -

The name on the caller I.D. said Rendor Forsythe.

Now that was something interesting.

He answered the call, not sure what to expect or even how to answer. "Hello, this is -"

"Your name is Jason Ellis, correct?" The voice on the other end was male, and Jason thought probably in his thirties or forties. Other than that, he had no idea what Forsythe looked like. From what he had heard, this guy was something of an eccentric. Forsythe was very private even to those working for him. "I believe we have you working in Kasukabe, Japan."

"Yes..."

"I'm calling about your assignment. Everything is going to plan, I assume."

"Everything's fine here. No observations to report yet. What did you want from me?"

"There's been a slight change of plan regarding your target. Listen carefully, because I'm only going to tell you the details once. Understand that this is of great importance to the organization."

"I'm ready."

What he heard next was unexpected, to say the least, but it was an order. In the end that was all that mattered. And he was supposed to start immediately. Such short notice... No time for questions, though.

He decided not to take the train this time.

* * *

As usual, Kagami hadn't wanted to help Konata with her homework... since Konata's definition of "help" seemed to be "doing all the work for her." Didn't she understand how many other important things I have to do? Konata thought. Like preparing for another raid. Back in her net game, they'd been grinding nonstop and collecting all sorts of rare items.

"Hey, Konata!"

She turned around. It was Jason, that new student...

"Oh, hey. I thought you were going back to your apartment." He had been going in that direction, at least. Towards Nakano, if her memory was correct... Which was in a completely direction from Washimiya. How had he gotten over here so quickly? He could barely find his way around the school.

"Changed my mind. I need to ask you something important," Jason replied. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure, no problem." What was this about...?

"Have you ever..." He looked for the right words. "...wished your life could be more exciting?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, I guess so, but - what are you talking about?"

"Follow me." He ducked into an alley, looking around to make sure they weren't being watched.

"You're acting really weird, you know," Konata said. Honestly, though, this was exactly the kind of thing she had wanted from a new exchange student, so she wasn't exactly complaining.

"I work with an organization called Eclipse," Jason explained. "We travel between multiple universes. We maintain a balance of power. Ensure no harmful interference between realities. And you've been chosen to work with us."

"Huh? You're - "

"You believe me, right?"

"This means you were lying back when you said you were normal," she said. "I'm pretty disappointed that you would lie to me about something like that."

That was all she had to say to him? Simply incredible, she accepted all of this as true with absolutely no proof. So far, anyway.

"Sorry about that. But we need to get started right away."

Konata stared at him. "Are you... serious about this?"

"So, will you come with me? Your training is supposed to begin as soon as possible."

"Yeah, of course!"

"Good to hear. Wait just a minute, we'll get going."

Jason pulled out his cell phone, and started typing something into it. Konata tried to see what it was, and noticed the logo on the back. A dark circle with white light radiating out from it. She had noticed it before, but now she realized what it was: an eclipse, just like this organization he had been talking about. That wasn't really a phone, was it?

"What are you -" she started.

"Just hold on." He put his hand on her shoulder, and then all the sounds and colors blurred together as they were pulled out of the only reality Konata had ever known.


	2. Dark Chest of Wonders

Washimiya was fading away, and in its place something else was forming. Stone cliffs, weatherbeaten and covered with moss, appeared around them. The air became colder and thinner, and also, Konata noted, cleaner. Who knows how far from civilization they were, anyway...The sky clouded over and it had begun to rain lightly. Although, she reminded herself, it had probably been raining here for a while before they arrived.

Something else seemed slightly off about this place, but she couldn't tell what it was. Not just any one thing, but everything looked a little different.

Konata looked over at Jason, who seemed used to such changes. How could you possibly be used to this kind of thing? He really was in some secret organization, then...

She then noticed that her hair had changed from its usual black to a shade of deep blue. Now that was something that defied all logic. She was about to ask about it when Jason spoke up.

"Baljhet Mountains."

"Huh?"

"That's where we are now. The year is 1479. We're somewhere in Europe, although it's different from the Europe in the world where you came from."

"So... what are we doing now?"

She heard a noise from behind her, and turned around. A rotting corpse began to pull itself up out of the ground, and it was staring right at her. She stepped back in shock.

"There's your answer," Jason remarked casually. "You'll take down a few of these guys, and we'll see how you are at combat." Fully unearthed, the thing began stepping towards them. Jason still took little notice. "Any preference on melee weapons? Swords, axes... maybe a lance, but that might be a bit unwieldy..."

It was walking towards them now. Konata had never seen an actual zombie before (_of course she hadn't,_ she thought, _those sort of things simply didn't exist in modern day Japan, did they_) and was obviously distracted.

"Huh? A- a sword, I guess."

He suddenly held out a sword - about two and a half feet long, unadorned.

"Where the hell did you get - ?"

"Just take it. I think we've got maybe an hour to practice today, so let's not waste it, alright? Good."

* * *

Chapter 2

The Window Open Wide

* * *

There was a huge difference between equipping a sword in a video game and physically holding one in your hand.

Despite being a fairly basic sword, it was slightly heavier than she had expected. She looked at it, tried swinging it around a little... Two more zombies had pulled themselves up and were advancing slowly with the original one.

"Just relax," Jason told her. "I chose to come here because these things are easy to kill. Just get used to fighting."

So if this was anything like a video game, then these must just be the easy enemies that you see in the first level. Nothing to be afraid of... just a walking corpse. They were slow, and clumsy... and yet still more intimidating than they were on a screen. But she could do this.

Konata chose one of the zombies to attack. No lock-on system here, but it was the same general idea.

She tried imitating the moves that she had seen in anime and video games, and found that it worked quite well. She made a horizontal slash at the creature, which split in half. "Cleanly" would not be the right word. Some sort of greenish slime was leaking out of it. It wasn't even blood...

One of the other two zombies started lumbering towards her. When she saw it, she quickly jumped to the side, and it fell forward onto the ground. She stabbed it through the back.

As she was fighting, more zombies were appearing. This really was like a video game, and it was somehow familiar. Then she realized. Baljhet Mountains. She knew she had heard that before.

"Is this... Castlevania?" Konata asked.

"I... suppose you could say that, yes," Jason responded. "We're not concerned with Dracula for today, we're just using his minions for practice. I come to this universe all the time, it's great."

"Wait, we're in a video game then?"

"Not quite... It's a universe identical to the one in Castlevania, but not exactly inside of a video game."

"I don't get this. What are you saying?"

"Behind you," he remarked.

"Huh?" She turned around, in time to see yet another creature attempting to grab her. She swung half-blindly at it, and it fell to pieces on the ground with more of that weird green stuff oozing out of them.

"I realize you have a lot of questions, but let's wait until we get back," Jason said.

She did indeed have a lot of questions, like why her hair had turned blue... Everything else almost made sense, but that was a bit much.

For about another hour she fought a seemingly endless army of the undead, realizing that it was surprisingly easy. This was pretty awesome, she decided. Jason stood back and watched her the entire time, never once actually assisting her. He occasionally stepped to the side when a zombie set its sights on him, and it would stumble off, missing him completely. Finally he spoke up.

"Hey, looks like we're out of time for today. Want to head back?"

"Um... sure." She was almost out of breath.

She handed the sword back to him, the blade now covered in green slime and small chunks of who knows what. She watched as it flashed bright white and disappeared into thin air in his hand.

"Cool, how'd you do that?"

"Simple magic, I'll have to teach you sometime. It's best not to have to carry around weapons and supplies with you. Not to mention if your dad found them in your room or something," he added.

He used that device that wasn't really a cell phone again, the mountains faded away just like they had appeared and they arrived back in...

* * *

"Wait. What?" Konata said.

She thought he had said they were going to return to the real world, but everything looked... well, like an anime come to life. Jason was almost recognizable... His eyes were larger, they were the same shade of dark brown as his hair. Konata looked at her own hair, which was still blue. Maybe that was normal to the people here, wherever here was.

"We're back," Jason said. "Probably looks a little different, but you'll get used to it. Trust me."

Did he just say they were back? As in her own universe? Looking around, Konata could tell that this was in fact the same location in Washimiya that they had left from, but at the same time it was like being in a stylized drawing of it.

"What... happened?"

"It's a little hard to explain. I'll do the best I can," he started. "We were just in a universe that was like the one in the Castlevania games, which is regarded as 'fictional.' This is your universe, which matches the one in the Lucky Star anime and manga. The spell that Eclipse uses to travel between worlds is based on how 'fictional' universes are known to outside observers, and that causes a world like this to appear to anyone who's been outside like it does in the anime."

She had no idea what he had just said. "Sorry, I'm not quite understanding all of this... I live in an anime?"

Jason tried to think of a better way to explain. "In a way, yes. But it's still a real universe. I don't fully understand how the system works, but my job is just to use it. Eclipse hires other people to develop this technology. Some sort of combination of magic with computers..."

Konata looked all around her. Everything was different now... The sky, the buildings, not to mention herself and Jason. It was more than just a little disorienting.

Suddenly she realized what had been so strange about those mountains. It had been a bit of a subtle change, but everything had been in the 3-D graphic style of those Castlevania games. Of course. She hadn't noticed it just because she wasn't expecting something like that. It was close enough to real life for her to just barely notice the change.

"It may take some getting used to, but trust me, everything's fine -"

"This is awesome!" Konata exclaimed with a huge smile.

"Eh? Of... course it is." For most people, they needed some time to come to terms with something like this, but Jason remembered who this was. Konata would be excited about this, wouldn't she? She had always acted like she lived in an anime, even before she had known that she actually was.

"Just remember that nothing has changed for anyone else. You'll have to act like everything's the same. None of your friends can know about this," Jason explained.

Konata imagined trying to tell Kagami how their life, this whole world, was all a popular anime series in some alternate universe. That would be a laugh. Speaking of which, what would Kagami (and everyone else, for that matter) look like now? Suddenly Konata was looking forward to going to school tomorrow.

"Well, if you have any questions, we'll take the train back. I'll tell you whatever you want to know," Jason said.

As they started back towards the train station, Konata really noticed how disorienting it was to be in a three-dimensional world in a two-dimensional style. It almost made her dizzy. Not to mention she could barely recognize her surroundings anymore.

"Well, about my hair..."

"Oh, that. It looks blue now, doesn't it?"

"Can anyone else see it? I mean, it's awesome having blue hair and all, but I can't exactly go to school like this."

"Things have always looked this way for me. You get used to it. And as for everyone else, you'll look just the same as always to them."

A few people passed them as they walked. All of them had normal hair colors, typical brown or black, but at least nobody was staring at her. Good, that was one thing she wouldn't have to worry about.

In manga and anime, weren't there usually just a handful of characters with strange hair colors? Most of the time it was never acknowledged. Because of the style you never questioned it; it was something that was just there.

"You said that this is called Lucky Star, right? What's it about?" she asked. That was what really interested her. She had such a normal life, what was there to make a manga and an anime out of? There wasn't even any romance! Although there was Miyuki-chan... Who wouldn't want to read about someone so moe?

"Well, it's your life, so you would know that better than anyone, wouldn't you?" he said. "Pretty much just random scenes from your everyday life, in yonkoma format. The manga is serialized in a few magazines. Comptiq, Shonen Ace..."

"Wait, I read both of those. There's nothing like that in them."

"Not in the ones you read, of course, but in other universes..."

"How many other universes are there, anyway?"

"Who knows? Research on all these different places are another branch of Eclipse. Right now it's looking like an infinite amount," Jason said. "And just about any work of fiction you can think of actually exists in at least one of them. Not just anime and games, but books, movies, everything."

An infinite number of possible realities, opportunities to be a part of any story she had ever read or watched... Not to mention this whole Lucky Star thing. And not even two hours ago this day had been completely normal.

The train to Saitama arrived, and a small group of people boarded it with them. They took a seat towards the back and continued to talk quietly, the few other passengers taking little notice anyway.

"This is a lot of information to cover. You feel like you get it?" Jason asked.

Konata sat back in her seat and watched out the window at the entire world that had changed. There was an instinctive feeling that everyone must be staring at her, but they weren't… Like Jason had said, they were completely unaware of any of the changes. It was just her, then. She was feeling a little exhausted from the fighting, and still sorting out her thoughts about this whole Eclipse business. "I think so... So we can just go into whatever anime I want?"

"Not quite. I'll let you choose where we go for training, if you want, but it has to be somewhere that we can practice fighting on plenty of enemies without causing too much interference. Or getting killed."

"What?" Konata realized she should have known there was a risk of death. After all, this organization was out there fighting all sorts of evil forces. Still… it wasn't something that she had thought of immediately.

"This is a dangerous job. There's always that risk, so just remember to be careful," he said with little emotion. He was used to it, after all. "Anyway, you did pretty well today. I guess you can finally put all your athletic talent to good use."

He really seemed to know a lot about her. More than he had ever let on before, at least. Obviously that was all part of his job. Had it all come from the anime and manga, or were there people all over the place from different universes watching her?

The train pulled into the Saitama station just then, so she didn't have time to ask him about those.

"So... You're alright on your own? I know you're still getting used to this whole anime-style thing, but it's still the same neighborhood," he said.

"Yeah. Thanks," Konata replied as she left the train. It was the same place after all, wasn't it? "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Tomorrow, at school… Konata couldn't even imagine how that was going to go.

She stepped off the train, feeling a bit more used to everything by now... She managed to find her way back to her own house. Not too hard, but considering the circumstances, it was something to be proud of.

"Hey, Dad, I'm home!" she called.

"Oh, hey, Konata," he said.

Konata went into the living room where his voice was coming from... and stopped. So her dad had blue hair now, too. Other than herself, he was the first person she had seen with any sort of unusual hair color. He was sitting down watching some police drama on TV. Remember not to stare, she reminded herself. Jason had told her to act like nothing's different...

"I tried to call your cell phone, but you didn't answer," Sojiro said. "Where were you, anyway?"

Konata's first thought was that her phone had been with her during that entire inter-universal incident, but then she remembered she had just left it in her room as always. There's one excuse that just made itself up.

"Y-Yeah, I think I forgot my phone again. I... stopped at Gamers after I went to visit Kagami," she said. Just an excuse to account for that hour spent in a completely different universe. In Europe, no less. In anime or manga where characters are leading secret lives, they always came up with good alibis to cover for them. Better start thinking of some. "Sorry if I'm a bit late."

"You forgot your phone again?"

"I'll remember it next time," she said as she went into her room. Actually, it would be best if she kept on leaving it here.

Konata turned her attention to her shelves of manga, the games stacked up next to the PlayStation, all of the merchandise displayed in various places... Jason had said she could choose where to train next. The options were literally limitless. Turning to look at her computer, she remembered that her online friends were probably waiting for her.

She logged on, noticing the graphics on the computer screen still looked the same. Honestly she hadn't been sure what to expect, but it made sense in a way. As much sense as anything could now, at least.

**konakona:** im back

**gatongo:** rofl wb

They were grinding in a fairly easy dungeon. Konata, easily the most addicted, was a good two levels above Yamanka, and three levels ahead of Gatongo.

She changed her character's hair color to blue. Just a style preference.

Hmm... Fighting these goblins in the game didn't look that hard, did it? She watched her onscreen avatar as she fought a few at a time and collected some gold. Yes, this wouldn't be too hard in real life. Although they would be faster than the zombies she had fought today, and they had weapons of their own, but the challenge made it even more appealing. And if she could learn some attack magic in addition to swordplay... She hadn't had much time to practice on the zombies, so she hoped for more time on the next occasion.

Konata realized that she was thinking more about real life than the game, which was uncommon, but... now which one was which?

Change is good, she decided. Very good.


	3. Living on the Edge

Konata experienced a brief sensation of confusion and panic when she woke up the next morning, but soon remembered what had happened.

As of yesterday, she had joined the Eclipse organization, which she realized she still had very little real understanding of. And ever since she had left this universe to visit the Castlevania one - she was still having trouble believing that had really just happened - things back here had taken on a new and disorienting (yet still awesome) appearance. Lucky Star... she still wondered what that was all about.

There was that old saying about "today is the first day of the rest of your life."

Sometime later today would probably be the next training session, in some other universe that before yesterday she would have thought fictional, but before that she had a normal school day ahead of her.

Normal? Well... Today would be the first time she would see her friends with however they would appear now... She herself had blue hair and huge green eyes now, so there was really no telling what anyone else would look like.

On the train and the bus, there was the usual mix of Ryoo students and adults on their morning commute. Still nobody else with amazing technicolor hair. Was it just the Izumi family or something...? The phrase "ultra rare" came to mind. Thinking about it that way, it was quite appealing.

* * *

Chapter 3

Something Wrong With The World Today

* * *

The train arrived at the Kasukabe station. As Konata got off with the other Ryoo students, she noticed two girls with lavender-colored hair standing off to the side. So there were people with different - wait, were those -?

"Hey, Kona-chan!" It was Tsukasa, but... wow, she had changed. Everyone here looked really young, but Tsukasa especially... _She might as well be in middle school now,_ Konata thought with a slight grin. Truth be told, it was a little disappointing that she no longer looked so much like Akari Kamigishi... Konata remembered how that was the first thing she had thought of when they had met.

Kagami and Tsukasa were now a bit more recognizable as twins, being the only people around with that shade of purple hair. Their eyes had changed to light blue, and Konata couldn't help but notice that Kagami was actually pretty cute now.

"Uh... Konata? You okay?" Kagami asked.

Konata realized she had been staring. "Oh, yeah! I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

"So did you ever manage to finish last night's homework on your own?" Kagami said.

"Oh yeah... that." She had completely forgotten. Kagami had been pretty mad that Konata would actually try to copy off her while she was at home sick, and of course right after she had left was when... "I guess I had other things on my mind."

"Typical... Knowing you, I wouldn't have expected any less." Kagami just couldn't believe how irresponsible Konata could be. She had probably just been up all night playing a game again. "And what's with that weird smile on your face, anyway?"

"Nothing, Kagamin," Konata said. "Though I must say, you're looking pretty good today."

_What the hell did she mean by_ that_?_ Kagami wondered.

* * *

"Huh... looks like Sensei's late again," Tsukasa said as they arrived in homeroom.

Konata wasn't paying attention, instead she was staring at the new and improved Miyuki-san. Pink hair, big purple eyes... not to mention the glasses and that figure. Obviously that was what all the fans of Lucky Star were there for. She was quite simply the Holy Grail of moe.

"Hey, Konata!" She looked over and saw Jason. He had gotten here early today. "So how are you today?"

"Great..." Konata replied, turning back to look at Miyuki.

Jason spoke quietly to her. "I thought we'd meet around midnight or so today. That way we'll have more time for practice. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Konata said. Today was going to be a very long day of school. She couldn't wait to get out for some more training. Not that the new anime lifestyle wasn't fascinating as well.

The bell rang for class to start, and still no sign of Kuroi-sensei.

"She's really setting a good example for all of us, isn't she?" Jason commented.

The door flew open and Kuroi ran to the desk, trying to catch her breath. "Everyone take your seats! Class is beginning!"

_So this is one of those animes where the teacher looks the same age as everyone else..._ Konata thought. _And none of us even look high school age to begin with._

That day Konata managed to stay awake through every class, though she still wasn't paying attention. Rather, she was observing each teacher, classmate, and detail around her. Hopefully she didn't give the impression that she was completely spaced out.

What kind of anime was Lucky Star, anyway? Jason had said it was just her daily life... Did that include Eclipse? High school could be a sub-plot - plenty of other anime did that. Konata Izumi, ordinary high school student with a secret after-school life travelling between worlds... That was a great plot for an anime, wasn't it?

Then again, it could just be a slice of life comedy. Whoever wrote this would have to be insane if he or she didn't include Miyuki-san in as many scenes as possible. And judging by the chibi art style, moe was definitely a focus here.

In this class... well, actually this entire school... Everyone except for herself and her friends had regular brown or black hair. Which meant that they must be the main cast. That made sense, those hair colors made them stand out.

Konata looked at Miyuki, who was sitting near the front of the class, taking notes attentively. Of course, like everyone else, she was unaware that she was undoubtedly an idol to... hundreds, maybe thousands, of anime fans.

And Jason... At the moment he looked like an ordinary student as well. It was almost hard to believe what had happened yesterday. He had all sorts of magical powers, combat ability (Konata remembered that was only a guess, she hadn't actually seen him fight) and connections to this powerful group that she still knew next to nothing about. And he had been aware of everything from the very beginning.

Konata reminded herself to ask him about Lucky Star. As weird as it would be to read the manga adaptation of her daily life, it was a chance she simply couldn't pass up.

Overall, that was a fairly normal day of school. Konata wasn't paying attention to the lessons, but she never had anyway. She could study it all the night before the test. Everything was normal... until English class.

Konata had never been very good at English, even less than in other subjects. Not really much of a use for it. She had always planned to live in Japan anyway.

The assignment today was to write a paragraph entirely in English over what you had done in the past week. Ordinarily this would have been next to impossible, but today... As Konata tried to decide what to write, she realized she was thinking fluently in English.

How was that possible? Being able to _think_ fluently in a foreign language...? She understood what she was thinking, of course she would, they were her own thoughts, but...

"Izumi." She looked up at Fushimi-sensei, the English teacher. "How about you read your paper to us?"

Today of all days... He probably wasn't even expecting her to have written anything (anything intelligible, at least). Such a sadistic man. But today she had something. Well, might as well just read it...

"Last week I bought some manga at Gamers, and I went on some quests online with my friends." She was uncomfortably aware of everybody staring at her. Konata wasn't used to being admired for her academic talents. She continued reading through the paragraph, trying to ignore them. "And yesterday I visited my friend Kagami's house when she was sick," she finished.

The entire class was looking at her. And why wouldn't they be? She had read off the entire paragraph in perfect English, without even a hint of a Japanese accent. Like she had been speaking it all her life. What the hell was going on? Konata tried to look like she wasn't as surprised as everyone else was.

"That was... excellent, Izumi. Great job," Fushimi-sensei said.

"Thank you," Konata said, and took her seat.

"Anyone else want to volunteer to read their work? No?" He chose another student, another student who was known to have difficulty with English. As they read their paper, struggling on pronunciation and grammar, Konata realized she could identify all the grammatical errors in their paper. How was she doing this...?

* * *

"So I heard some of the clubs are accepting new members," Kagami said. "Maybe you should join one, Jason. It's a great way to meet new people."

"I've thought about it," he replied. "Maybe... kendo, that one sounded interesting. What is that, anyway? Isn't it like swordfighting or something?"

"Yes, that's correct," Miyuki said. "I believe I've heard it's based on traditional samurai fighting styles using a katana."

"Well, katanas are definitely awesome, no argument there," he said. "And they teach this in school? Japan is awesome!"

"Or you could try one of the art or music clubs. Those are lots of fun, too," Tsukasa suggested.

"They don't judge based on talent, do they...?" Jason said. "It's sad to say, I've never been very good at art."

"Well, the most important thing is that you're part of something. It's a great way to meet people, especially since you're new here. That's what Konata doesn't seem to understand about the entire 'club' business," Kagami said. "Isn't that right?"

Konata said nothing. She was staring intently at her choco cornet. It was so... symmetrical. It still felt like a regular choco cornet, and it surely still tasted like one, but like everything else today, it looked so different.

"Wait... don't tell me you're still trying to figure out which is the right way to eat it." All of them still remembered that conversation from their first year. Caterpillar or seashell?

"No, that's not it." Konata took a bite, and it still had that familiar delicious flavor. Of course it would...

"Kona-chan, when did you learn to speak English so well? That was really impressive in class today," Tsukasa said.

"What happened?" Kagami asked. "I gotta hear this." Konata doing well in school? That was news.

"Yes, it was very impressive," Miyuki said.

"Yeah, you almost sounded like an American, Kona-chan!" Tsukasa said.

"Well, um..." Konata tried to think of something. Why _was_ she suddenly fluent in English, anyway? "I've been... studying with Jason. He helped me."

Jason realized he was suddenly on the spot. "Uh... yeah. That's right. You really learn fast, Konata. It shows."

"You actually studied? I'm impressed," Kagami said. "What's with the sudden motivation?"

Konata tried to think of what to say next. This was harder than she had thought. "Well, I was thinking... I want to visit America someday." That sounded good enough. But please, no more questions today...

Jason suddenly cut in. "Well, the line's probably shorter now, I guess I'll go over to the cafeteria and get some lunch. Anyone want to come?"

Konata got the hint. "Yeah, I think I'll get something too... Be right back."

They both stood up and started towards the cafeteria. As they left the room, Konata just had to say it. "What the hell happened in English class today?"

"It's another effect of Eclipse's inter-dimensional program from yesterday. You're fluent in every language now," Jason said. "It'll come in handy, trust me."

Had he just said _every_ language? As in... _all_ of them?

"I actually never learned how to speak Japanese. That would have taken too long, I just don't have the patience..." He shrugged. "Besides, you never know what languages you'll run into on a mission."

"You... never learned Japanese? And you're going to a _Japanese high school_?" That was a stretch even for a mysterious transfer student from another dimension. "How?"

"Well, for one thing, being from America I'm not expected to know much about the culture here anyway, so it's fine if I seem a bit different," Jason said. "I haven't been in school at all for the past five years anyway."

_Five years?_ Konata wondered. She never would have guessed, he seemed so natural in this setting...

"So... Why didn't you tell me about this language thing yesterday?"

"Why didn't you ask?"

"Anyway..." Konata said. "I've been thinking about where I want to go next. You said any universe, right?"

"Except for a few that are off limits."

"I really want to meet Haruhi Suzumiya, to start -"

"Absolutely not."

"Wha -?" That had been pretty blunt. "Why not?"

"How do I put this... That universe is a bit of a special case, you could say. We're monitoring Haruhi pretty closely. There are plenty of people out there with abilities to distort reality, but Haruhi is just so unpredictable, and so powerful..."

"So we're not even allowed to visit?" Konata was disappointed. So much for her favorite anime...

"Unless you want to risk her finding out about all the different worlds out there, and potentially destroying a few of them in the process. This is business, not tourism."

They were silent for a moment. Konata hadn't even thought about it, but it made sense for Eclipse to have such an interest in Haruhi... and other people with similar abilities? Like who?

"If they decide you're skilled enough, you might get a chance to be part of the team investigating that world. But for now you're just starting out, so it's out of the question. Sorry about that." They were standing in line now. Nobody was paying attention to the conversation. Konata had to remind herself that they didn't stand out as much as it felt like they did. Jason continued, "So any other ideas on where you want to go tonight?"

"Yeah, I've got a few."

"Good. Let's hear them."

* * *

Class had ended for the day. They met out in front of the school.

"So... The gym's that direction, right?" Jason asked, pointing.

"Yeah. The kendo team should be practicing in there now, so just tell them you want to join," Kagami told him.

"Thanks. You guys are headed home, then?"

"Yeah," Konata said. "I guess I'll see you later, then."

"Sounds good. See you later." Jason headed off towards the gym. Konata could only imagine how he'd do on the kendo team. Was that just another front he was putting up, trying to seem like a regular high school student? She had never seen his fighting abilities, but to be practicing swordfighting against regular people... Hopefully nobody would get seriously injured.

"So what's your opinion on him?" Konata asked, trying to sound casual.

"That's kind of a weird thing to ask, don't you think?" Kagami said. "He seems okay to me."

"I think he seems very nice," Tsukasa said. "It's so cool knowing someone from another country, don't you think?"

Kagami suddenly remembered something. "But when did you have time to study with him, Konata? From what I heard you really made some progress on your English, and we haven't even known him for very long."

"Oh... you know, after school..." Konata said. Sure, it was vague, but what else was she supposed to say? "It hasn't really been _that_ much."

Konata was really acting strange today... Kagami was beginning to wonder if - no, of course not. That was crazy...


	4. Somewhere Far Beyond

The owner of the shop examined these two new visitors.

One was a girl, short but with very long dark hair. She was probably in her mid teenage years. She was examining the potions, weapons, and armor with great interest. Judging by her clothing, she wasn't from these parts. The shopkeeper had never seen that style of clothing before, he couldn't even determine what material her shirt and pants were made of.

The girl was looking at a set of red armor. "What are the stats like for this one?"

"S-stats?" the shopkeeper asked. What did she mean?

"I think what she means to say is... we want the best armor you can provide for us within our budget," said her companion. He was a boy who appeared to be several years older than her, with dark brown hair. Possibly her brother, but more likely just a close friend. His clothing was similar to hers, completely out-of-place in this region.

He handed a bag of money to the shopkeeper, and upon opening it he saw a huge amount of gold coins.

"You're willing to spend... all of this?" he asked. This was more gold than he would see in an entire week of business.

"Sure. We're a little under-equipped at the moment."

"Take your pick, then. As for that armor..." He turned to the girl, still examining the same red armor. "That's the best in the store."

* * *

Chapter 4

The March Of Time Begins

* * *

The language they were speaking was one that Konata had never heard in her life. It definitely didn't exist in what she considered to be the "real" Earth. She had expected people here to speak Japanese, like they did in the game, but... Japan didn't exist here anyway, so why would they?

"Where did you get all that money, anyway?" Konata asked.

They were in the town square. She recognized it from all the time she had spent playing this game online, but this was so much more real. The town seemed more populated, and while many of the people here were carrying weapons and magic staves, there seemed to be just as many regular townspeople. None of them were NPCs, this world was just as real as her own. The cel-shaded graphic style here was a bit more like what she was used to, though, unlike the two-dimensional anime look back home.

They had changed into the armor they bought at the store, so they now fit in with the crowd better. Before they had been wearing their typical twenty-first century street clothes, and here in this fantasy-medieval setting they had gotten a few strange looks.

"I have this friend - another organization member - and, well..." Jason paused. "He's a bit of a gambler. But he's good at it, and he was able to make quite a bit. We're meeting up with him, by the way."

"You mean we're forming a party?" Konata asked.

"Well... yeah, I guess you could say that."

* * *

"Unbelievable!"

"I won that one fair and square. Your wager was twenty gold, hand it over," Joshua said.

A sizable crowd had gathered to watch this out-of-towner at the dice table. Since he had arrived today, he had made an absolute fortune. His long red hair stood out in contrast to his black clothing and hat.

"That's the last of my gold..." his opponent grumbled. "You must be cheating."

"Honestly, I'm shocked that you would say such a thing. I'm just lucky today, that's all."

That was when the man drew his sword and held it up against Joshua's throat. "Feeling lucky now, then?"

Joshua remained calm. "Well, when you bring swords into it, it's entirely skill. I'd put that away, if I were you."

Before anyone could respond, Joshua drew his own sword in an impossibly fast motion against the other and lowered it towards the ground.

"Wha -"

"When it comes to that, I'm not taking any chances. Glad you understand," he said.

As Joshua turned to walk out of the tavern _(better do it now, before things get any worse)_, the man he had been playing against slowly turned, and charged towards him with his sword raised again –

His face suddenly met with something hard. A fist. Unsurprisingly, it was another one of these strange travelers, this one wearing a red cape with no shirt. Blue tattoos ran up both his muscular arms.

"Get out of my way! You're not a part of this!"

In response, the newcomer said nothing at first, but instead jumped up onto one of the tables, making himself even taller than the rest of the ever-increasing crowd of onlookers, and began to speak, one arm raised towards the ceiling as the other pointed a long katana at the man's face.

"Before you stands the great Kamina, the legendary leader of Team Dai-Gurren! And he never turns his back on a fight! If you dare to try and fight us, we'll take on all of you by ourselves!"

_How did I get paired up with this guy?_ Joshua wondered.

A mob had quickly formed, convinced that this Kamina was all talk. Who did he think he was, coming into this town and picking fights like that? They had taken all they could stand of these foreigners.

"Nice going, there," Joshua said. "Couldn't you have just let it go? I was just having a little fun, I don't really need the money. You should know that as well as I do."

"Idiot!" Kamina snapped. "This is about your honor!"

It wasn't that the two of them alone _couldn't _take on an entire bar full of half-drunk warriors. As members of Eclipse, their fighting abilities were nearly unmatched. But this was quickly turning into a huge and unnecessary mess, and Joshua was not in the mood for that today. What was taking Jason and that new recruit so long, anyway?

In the meantime... he dodged a mug full of beer that was headed towards his face, which hit another drunkard in the face, causing him to enter the battle as well. Kamina ducked a few punches coming his way and responded by kicking his attacker in the legs, causing him to trip and fall over.

And all at once, everything stopped.

"Hm? What now?" Kamina asked.

"Time Stop... Of course," Joshua said. "Right on schedule."

"Sorry I'm late," Jason said. He had just entered the tavern with the new girl. She was absolutely speechless at his magic ability, apparently she hadn't seen what Jason was capable of yet. "Looks like you got into some trouble here. Let's get out quick, I can't hold them much longer."

* * *

They stopped at the edge of the town, where civilization gave way to a dark forest. No doubt that when the spell wore off on the tavern, the brawlers would have no idea where the two foreigners had gone. Just another unexplained mystery. In this line of work, they seemed to leave a trail of such occurrences in their wake wherever they went.

"Just like you had always said. That Time Stop spell really is useful," Joshua said. "I remember when you learned that one, back when we were working together back in Ivalice. Good times."

"Now that that's over with... Konata, these are some guys I've worked with on missions before. They agreed to come train with us for the day."

"Although you never told me that I'd be stuck with this psycho for hours," Joshua muttered.

"This is Konata Izumi, the new recruit I was telling you about," Jason said.

"Welcome to the team! I'm - " Kamina started.

"Kamina, the leader of the Dai-Gurren brigade?" Konata was ecstatic. The real Kamina, from Gurren Lagann? It was too amazing to be true.

"So I see I'm more famous than I realize!" Kamina said.

"And I'm -" Joshua was unable to finish before Konata cut him off as well.

"Joshua, wandering swordsman, secretly the lost prince of Jehanna?" Konata said. Fire Emblem 8, she thought.

"Yes... Yes I am. How are you doing that?"

"Well... To say that Konata is a fan of anime and games would be a bit of an understatement," Jason told him.

"Ah. So she's from one of those universes..." Joshua said.

"It's been a while, Joshua. And Kamina. Good to see you again. It's been a while since we did that mission against the Principality of Zeon."

"Zeon? You mean... you piloted Gundams?" Konata asked. There was definitely a fascinating story there. She really hardly knew this new student.

"Maybe he did, but all I need is Gurren!" Kamina said. "It's served me well ever since I left my old brigade behind for my bro Simon to take command."

Konata couldn't help but wonder - if Kamina had "left behind" Dai-Gurren (and if that meant what she thought it did, having seen that series), how was he still able to take Gurren with him into these missions? There just didn't seem to be answers to these things. Having access to an infinite number of possible realities, surely plenty of things were possible. For now she would just have to roll with it.

"I'm sure they still can't figure out how you were able to fight with drills larger than your Gunman's entire body..." Jason said. "But overall I think that went pretty well." He turned to Konata. "So where are we going?"

Konata looked at him. "What? I thought you would have a plan!"

"This is your game, after all - you should know it better than any of us."

"Well..." She thought for a moment. "New players usually start out in the fields or the forest. But I think I'd rather try the tunnels. That's one of the first dungeons."

They left the crowded bustle of the town to find the entrance to this dungeon. Out here in the woods, there were only a few other parties of adventurers out slaying monsters. Here in the real world it seemed to actually be for defending the town, not like in the game where it was all for the fun and experience points...

Kamina sauntered around with his katana over his shoulder, his cape flying out behind him in the wind, and a confident grin on his face. By comparison, Joshua was fairly laid back. His sword was kept at his side. And Jason seemed to store all of his equipment using magic. For an organization, Konata thought they were really diverse in their methods.

"So you're staying in Konata's world right now, aren't you?" Joshua asked.

"Yep. I'm going to high school for an entire year..." Jason said. "Just as thrilling as it sounds."

Joshua laughed. "Good luck out there."

"So what do you usually do, if you're not going to school?" Konata asked.

"Well, we're usually just going from world to world according to what missions are available," Jason explained. "For the most part I avoided normal places, I'd much rather be... here, for instance."

"We're the kind of people who absolutely refuse to live a quiet and boring life!" Kamina said. "We're always searching for new worlds. Starting from my village, moving up to the surface, and now all of this!"

"So by now I think it's obvious," Konata said. "Jason, you're not really from America. Where are you from, originally?"

"Well, I am from America," he said. "Just not the one in your world. And I haven't been back there since I joined Eclipse several years ago…" He wouldn't say anything more on the subject.

They passed a band of warriors taking down a pack of Kobolds. One of them was a mage, as Konata could tell by his clothing. He used a chain lightning spell to attack several of them at once.

"I want to learn how to do that..." Konata said. "Magic, I mean. That Time Stop thing… I had no idea you could do that."

"Magic abilities are very useful," Jason agreed. "But how do you go about getting them in this world? It works differently everywhere, you know."

She had almost forgotten, she was the expert on how things worked here. "You usually use a scroll to learn new spells... If you're a mage class, that is."

"If you want it, then go out and get it! There aren't any rules here to stop you," Kamina said.

"Exactly. There are no classes here, or levels, or stats, so if you find one of those scrolls you'd be able to learn it just like that," Jason said.

They now approached an opening in the face of a steep cliff, leading deep underground. A few warning signs were posted, and the remains of a makeshift shop were left by the entrance. Konata recognized it instantly, although in the game the shop was always there to provide one last chance to buy health potions and weapons before entering the dungeon. But here in the real world, he couldn't be expected to just live right there, could he?

"Should we stop and make preparations?" Konata asked.

"Like what? I've been ready all day," Joshua said. He stretched out his arms and yawned.

"Well, in the game, we usually..." She stopped. No, those things weren't necessary here. "Nevermind. Let's go."

"Charge in headfirst and never look back! That's what your eyes are in the front for!" Kamina had already ran in, and Konata decided to head after him. How could you help but be inspired by absolutely everything he said?

"And they're off..." Joshua muttered. "We should probably catch up before they get lost in there."

"Right, Konata's just starting out, so she doesn't even have her own Talisman to get back home with," Jason said.

"But... I've just been wondering about what you told me earlier," Joshua said. "About her. Is she really...?"

"Like I said, there's not really a way to tell for sure. I'm just supposed to keep an eye on her."

"Hmm... At any rate, let's get in there before they kill themselves."

Jason started in after them. "Wait up!" The entrance to the tunnels was a long hallway lit by torches. Most likely magic. Who would be down here to keep them lit? Although the passage twisted around as it descended, there were no branching paths until the first room, where Kamina and Konata had encountered a goblin warlock.

As the goblin cast fire spells at both of them, it dodged each sword swing at the same time. Luckily its aim was not as good as its evasiveness.

"Annoying little guy," Konata panted.

"Get on the other side of it," Kamina said. "We'll take this punk down." He slashed his katana horizontally, and the goblin jumped back within range for Konata to hit it with a downward slash directly on its skull.

"That's a bit messier than the game usually shows," she remarked. "These things usually drop magic items, but I guess they don't here. Lame..."

"You'll have to go through its belongings if you want to find anything," Jason said. "They're not going to fall out on their own... regrettably."

The body (which was not going to vanish after a few seconds) did have a pack on it... As disgusting as it was, maybe there was something good in there. Konata squatted down and started rummaging through the pack.

"Hmm..." Most of the contents seemed useless. Anyway, the good stuff was usually really rare. There was a 7.2% chance of finding new attack magic as a drop item. But looking closer... "This looks interesting. Hey, I think this is a fire scroll..." It had some sort of weird lettering on it, but she could still read it... Of course. Just like any other language. She read it softly under her breath, the ancient words sounding strange to her yet still comprehensible...

This was quite an amazing stroke of luck, finding it on her first try. She couldn't help but feel that maybe it wasn't just a coincidence.

As Konata finished reading the last line, the scroll crumbled to ash. She looked at it in shock. "What happened to it? That's not supposed to happen..."

"Those things... I'm guessing they disappear after you use them in the game, right?" Jason asked.

Of course... That made sense. In the game all you ever saw was a "use" command, and then a text box telling you the scroll had vanished and your character had learned a new spell. This was what actually happened.

"So let's get on to the next room. Try it out on something, see if it worked," Joshua said. Kamina was already gone, at least you could count on him not to waste any time.

"Four hours left," Jason reminded them. "Let's keep going."

It appeared to be an empty room until something came flying towards Kamina. He caught it in midair. An arrow.

"Absolutely shameful! A real man stares his enemy in the face instead of hiding in the shadows! Come out where we can see you!" he bellowed into the darkness.

So how did magic work when you were using it for real? Konata wondered. She focused on summoning fire from her hands, directing a wave of it towards the unseen attacker, although she had no idea how to go about doing that...

As she imagined it, she waved her hand and, just as she had tried to imagine, the fire shot across the room, catching a few goblins armed with bows aflame.

"Nice one..." Jason said. "You'll have to be careful with that."

"If I can even remember what I just did," Konata said. She had actually learned how to use magic. It all existed. And somehow that made everything more real.

* * *

"We got pretty far today," Jason said. "But time's just about up. We've got school in the morning."

Konata sighed. "How depressing."

"I agree completely. I'm off for some new mission," Joshua said. "Maybe we'll see each other later. This was some good training."

"Hey Konata, I wouldn't mind doing this again some time," Kamina said. "You've got some real spirit in you. Plenty of potential."

"Coming from you, that really means a lot," Konata said. She still couldn't believe that she had actually met and fought alongside Kamina. Just another thing to add to the list of completely impossible things that had happened today.

"Don't mention it," he said.

"Come on, Konata," Jason said. "Let's go home. We'll continue tomorrow night if you're still feeling up to it."

"Of course I will," Konata said. She smiled. "Did you even have to ask?"

Once you started living in an anime… The life of an ordinary high school student truly was grand.


	5. Welcome to Paradise

"Izumi."

There was that voice again...

"Izumi!" Konata felt a sharp thwap on the top of her head. She looked up.

"You've been sleeping in class even more than usual lately," Kuroi said.

World History class. They were learning about... something or other. Konata couldn't even remember. By what was written on the board, it seemed like they were on medieval Europe. Hey, she had been there a few days ago. Wasn't that something.

"Sorry, ma'am... I guess world history just doesn't seem that relevant to me. It's all over and done with, after all. Do I even need to learn this?"

"As long as you're my student, yes, you need to know this. Now pay attention!" Kuroi said. "You'll have plenty of time for rest during Golden Week."

That's right... It was the last few days of April, that meant it was almost time for Golden Week. She had almost forgotten. And that made it... about two weeks now in Eclipse. It seemed like such a short time, and yet it also felt like she had been doing this all her life. But all these late-night training sessions were really making her tired, she had to admit that. After all, it was much more physically demanding than... well, anything she ever did before. Maybe she would take a break for a while. It was a holiday, after all.

For the time being, she opened her world history textbook, not entirely paying attention. It was only the history of _this_ world, anyway.

* * *

Chapter 5

It's Now Feeling Like My Home

* * *

Kagami hadn't been sure, but now... There was definitely something different about Konata. Although she still wasn't sure what it was.

True, that girl had always been strange. It seemed like her entire life was devoted to anime and games. Maybe Konata thought she belonged in one of those more than in real life. Her entire behavior was apt to change at a moment's notice simply because she had started to read a new manga and decided to emulate the characters.

At first Kagami had thought that was what it was. That was the hardcore otaku way - a lifestyle Kagami would never understand, even if she tried.

Maybe Jason had something to do with it. Ever since they had met him at the beginning of the school year... well, maybe more like a week later or so... That was when Konata had started acting differently. She seemed to spend a lot of time with him, based on how familiar they acted when they would talk to each other - although Konata never gave any details on when or where they were hanging out together.

Then there was that thing a few days ago. Kagami had just arrived at school that morning with her sister, and they found Jason and Konata already there at the station. Konata was looking at a manga that Jason had just given her - something called Lucky Star, with some girls on the cover with weird hair colors.

"So I finally managed to get a copy of it for you," Jason said as he handed it to her.

Konata accepted it with interest, looking over the front and back covers, reading some of the front pages... "Thanks... This is awesome."

"Well, this is new," Kagami said as she approached them. "Usually you're the one loaning out the manga, Konata."

Konata looked up at her in shock. "Uh, K-Kagami! When did you get here?" She quickly put the manga away.

"Huh? What's that all about?"

"Oh, um... nothing," Konata said. That was really unlike her - usually Kagami would have heard all about whatever the latest manga was. Konata was not the shy type at all when it came to her passion. "Jason just loaned me one of his manga, that's all..."

"Lucky Star? What's it about?" Tsukasa asked.

"Umm..." Konata really didn't seem like she knew what to say. _What did she have to hide, anyway? _Kagami wondered. _It was just manga..._

"It's nothing you'd be interested in. Pretty hardcore yuri stuff, you know," Jason said. All three of them seemed to be shocked at that - Konata as much as the others.

"Th-that's..." Kagami didn't know what to say. Was it normal for a boy and a girl to share in their love of lesbian manga? Jason had seemed normal enough, but... deep down, he and Konata were the same. "You're both really messed up, you know that?"

After that incident, Kagami had never seen any more of Lucky Star around school, but she couldn't shake that strange feeling it gave her. What kind of age restrictions did it have on it if even _Konata_ didn't want to be seen with it? It didn't even look that bad, but covers did seem to lie every now and then.

But more importantly... Kagami thought she knew what was going on between Konata and Jason. They were dating. In secret, for whatever reason - but it was definitely happening.

So that would explain why they spent so much time together, why they always seemed to be hiding secrets from everybody else...

The part that bothered Kagami the most was that somehow Konata had been the first to have any sort of romance in her life. She would never have thought that Konata would get a boyfriend before she herself did.

For whatever reason, they just weren't telling anybody about it. So Kagami decided she would stay quiet about it too, at least for now. They obviously didn't want her to know.

* * *

After that, as soon as she saw the chance, Konata decided to ask Jason about something.

"So what you told Kagami about Lucky Star... About it being yuri... That was a lie, right?" Konata asked. "I mean, there's nothing going on between my friends that I don't know about... Stuff like that."

"Yeah. I only said that so that Kagami and Tsukasa would lose interest," Jason said. "It was a big enough risk already just bringing a copy of that into this universe."

"That's good..." Konata said. She had been pretty sure that Lucky Star was just a regular comedy manga, no yuri relationships whatsoever... Konata was usually a fan of that kind of thing, but between herself and her own friends? That was just wrong.

"Now, _doujinshi_, on the other hand... That's a different story. You might want to avoid that."

"You mean -?" Konata was shocked. "So our fanbase is into... Well, I see where they're coming from, I'm that way about other manga, but _still..._"

"Yeah. We won't go into any more detail on that."

* * *

Tsukasa was waiting with her sister outside the school.

"Where are they?" Kagami said. "They're really taking their time."

"Um... I think they stayed behind for a bit. They said they wouldn't be long..." Tsukasa said.

"Konata and Jason... Of course..." Kagami muttered.

"What?" Tsukasa was confused. What was going on?

"Nothing."

Tsukasa waited patiently for a while longer. Kagami, on the other hand, seemed to be feeling a bit irate. She always got annoyed with Konata, but Tsukasa had never minded her that much. Personally she thought Konata was such an interesting person, with a whole different outlook on life. Jason was similar, especially since he was so new to Japan. Tsukasa thought it must be like a whole new world for him.

"Oh, there they are!" Tsukasa said.

Jason and Konata were just coming out of the school. Konata had her phone out, and was looking at the screen.

"Hey, Kona-chan, I didn't know you had a cell phone," Tsukasa said.

"Oh, this? It's new, I just got it yesterday," Konata said. "It's got all these new features that my old one didn't have."

"You had an old one?" Kagami asked. "I didn't even know that."

"Yeah, but nobody ever called me, and I didn't even carry it around most of the time. You should both give me your numbers and we can call each other."

They started walking together to the train station.

"So, I thought we'd check out this new restaurant that opened out in Ikebokuro last week. Sound good?" Kagami said.

"Yeah," Jason said. "I'm pretty excited for Golden Week starting... even though I'm still not sure what it is, exactly."

"Umm..." What were the exact days in Golden Week about? "Isn't it Shōwa day first... then...?" Tsukasa was trying to think.

"Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children's Day," Kagami finished. "That's an entire week long holiday, counting the weekend."

"That's a lot to remember..." Jason said.

"But all that really matters is no school!" Konata said. "A whole week to do whatever we want."

"Just remember your homework, too," Kagami said.

"Yeah. Work hard on that, okay, Kagamin? I'm counting on you."

Kagami sighed.

---------------

That night, Konata took the opportunity to get a better look at her new phone.

To tell the truth, it wasn't really a phone, although it would still work as one... Jason had called it a Talisman when he had given it to her after school. Through some process he wasn't able to explain very well (and didn't make much sense anyway), it was connected to a server back at the Eclipse headquarters that allowed for inter-universal travel.

She had never given much thought into how it worked - Jason had always done this for her before - but now she was really interested. She was now authorized to travel between worlds on her own.

There were still rules, of course, she couldn't meet Haruhi or else she would lose this job altogether. Of course, becoming part of that special branch that was investigating Haruhi was something to aspire for. If they ever needed someone to work on the inside, in direct contact with the SOS Brigade... Konata would be willing to take responsibility. Oh yes, she would.

For now she wasn't doing anything with the Talisman. Kuroi had been right - she needed to get some rest, maybe take a break from work for a few days. Enjoy some good old-fashioned gaming without real risk of injury or death, and then she would start taking missions from Eclipse.

That was something else exciting - real missions, not just training. The mysterious powers-that-be that ran this organization considered Konata to be ready to actually take missions and maintain security in all sorts of interesting worlds.

Come to think of it, who was in charge of Eclipse? Jason had said something about a guy... what had his name been? Farraday? Foley? Forsythe...? Yeah, that had been it. Anyway, apparently this guy was so busy running the entire organization that neither of them would ever talk to him or even see him. Just how large was the organization, anyway, if Jason had seriously never even spoken to his boss in five years of service?

So, to access the "Travel" function on this... Konata worked her way through the process, trying to remember all the steps. Enter the "Add New Contact" function, then enter a four-digit passcode for each blank instead of names, addresses, and phone numbers. Then you were able to access the mission assignments and access the travel server. With all of that security, she wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing the more interesting features of her new phone and getting any ideas.

Konata noticed it was getting late, about time to go to bed... or, as an alternative, stay up all night and play games.

She chose the second option. It had been a while since she had done that.

* * *

May 4th. Two days until the end of Golden Week. Kagami and Tsukasa were working on their homework together when the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Kagami said. She walked over and picked up the phone. "Hiiragi residence."

"Hey, Kagamin, I thought we'd go over that homework then?" It was Konata.

"That's funny, I didn't expect to hear from you until tomorrow. I guess this is what _you_ would consider getting an early start."

"Oh, I've got something planned for tomorrow afternoon, so I'm going to be busy," Konata answered. "I thought we'd go over it today instead. So, what about that homework?"

"You just go straight to the point, don't you?" Kagami said. "Sure, you can come over. We were actually just working on it now."

"What? You're not done yet?" Konata said.

Kagami sighed. "When most people say they want to 'work together on homework' they expect that the other person isn't done yet. But you... You never had any intention of doing any of it yourself, did you?"

"Was it that obvious? Well, anyway, I'll be over there in a bit. See you then."

They hung up, and Kagami returned to the table to help Tsukasa with some problems. At least her sister would at least try to understand it on her own.

But what had Konata said about something planned for tomorrow? Konata never planned things out in advance. But Kagami thought she knew what this was about. It was all clear now, she was sure she knew exactly what Konata was going to be doing tomorrow.

* * *

May 5th. It was Children's Day - the last day of Golden Week before going back to school. At least it had been back in Japan, but in this universe Konata wasn't sure what the date was. The weather here was cold and crisp, probably early fall.

Konata had decided this was a good time to take on her first real mission. The target was a vampire, in this small village in the English countryside. The population had decreased significantly since he had arrived - nobody had left, rather, they had all turned into ghouls. According to the mission briefing, the Hellsing organization would be busy elsewhere, so it was up to herself and Jason to clear out the entire town. Konata was almost disappointed that she wouldn't be meeting Alucard, or Seras, or any of the other characters from the Hellsing anime. That would have been so cool, but this was work, and she couldn't always choose what the assignment entailed.

"So you're okay with the plan?" Jason asked.

"We're splitting up, going in two different directions, and when one of us finds the target we'll call each other and take it down as a team," Konata said. "That's all of it, right? Sounds good to me."

Konata's weapon this time around was a pistol loaded with silver bullets. The ghouls here were immune to conventional weapons. She had a decent amount of experience with guns, although she still preferred close-range weapons. The RPG fan in her really preferred swords.

It was a nice cool night. It could have been pleasant if not for the undead roaming the village. Konata was shooting them on sight, watching them turn to dust when the bullets hit them. She couldn't help but wonder what Kagami and Tsukasa were doing this afternoon.

No sign of the vampire yet. Apparently he used to be a farmer who lived nearby. If allowed to go on creating ghouls and drinking blood, he would quickly take control over an area much larger than this small rural town... So, if the Hellsing organization wasn't going to take care of him, nobody else in this world would. That's where Eclipse came in, Konata figured.

A few more ghouls stumbling around, moaning. Instead of her gun, Konata tried using some of that fire magic. It formed basketball-sized orbs of flame that she was able to aim quite accurately. She was very proud of her work on that ability, she had so much more control over it than she used to.

As Konata headed towards some small cottages, her phone rang. Was that Jason already? Had he already found the target?

She answered it. "Hello?"

"Oh, hey, Kona-chan!" Instead of Jason, who Konata had assumed was the only person who could possibly call her right now, she was surprised to hear Tsukasa's voice. But how? This was an entire different universe, you couldn't just call somebody like that, could you?

"Uh, hi, Tsukasa..." Konata honestly could not think of what to say. "What's up?"

"Well, me and Sis were going to the movies today, and we were wondering if you'd like to come."

"I'm actually kind of busy right now," Konata said. "Maybe another time."

Konata continued through the village as she talked. There was a small group of ghouls, armed with machine guns. _Where did they get those, it doesn't even make sense,_ Konata thought. Generally the undead were too stupid to use weapons, but not in the Hellsing universe. It had been cool in the anime, but it made fighting them annoying. She took cover behind the wall of a house until the firing stopped.

Sensing an opportunity to fire back, she looked around the corner and fired several times.

"Wh-what was that noise?" Tsukasa asked on the other end of the line, her voice shaky.

"Just playing a game. That's all. I probably have the volume up too loud," Konata said. She had to find a way out of this conversation, it was too hard to concentrate on two things at once. Not to mention all the gunfire in the background. That couldn't possibly sound good from Tsukasa's end of the line. "Sorry I can't do anything today. Maybe we could do something some other time."

Some vehicles coming down the road. Military, from the look of them.

But the mission report had said Hellsing was occupied with other matters at the time! They weren't supposed to come here. And more importantly... what was Konata supposed to do? She supposed she couldn't let herself be seen.

"Okay. I'll see you later, Kona-chan!" Tsukasa said.

"Yeah. Later..." Konata hung up. That had been strange. She hadn't known that the Talismans still functioned as cell phones between universes. That would be useful to remember.

The ghouls raised their weapons to fire again. Konata gasped and took cover. "Come on, gotta stay focused..." she said. She was out of practice, she realized that now. The extra rest had made her less tired, but she wasn't thinking straight. As long as Jason was taking care of the other part of town, she was on her own here, and that meant to be extra careful.

There was some machine gun fire. Not the ghouls this time, some Hellsing soldiers had been deployed from the vehicles and were taking them down. So was Konata's mission over?

She was still considering what to do when another burst of gunfire went off. A few sounds of ricocheting bullets. And suddenly an intense pain.

Konata lost the ability to stand... She dropped her pistols and fell face forward onto the ground. It had all been so sudden.

_So that was it, then... _She thought as she faded out of consciousness. _No option to restart, it's all over..._

Her final thought:_ What's going to happen now?_


	6. People are Strange

Konata woke up. She hadn't been expecting to wake up, so that in itself was somewhat of a relief.

First she noticed that the horrible pain she had just experienced was completely gone. That meant... she was dead. That was pretty disappointing, she still had so much she had wanted to do. Anyway, what's going to happen back home?

But death wasn't anything like she expected it to be... She looked around and found herself in the back of some vehicle. The back was open, revealing the night sky and some dark woods. Some serious-looking machine guns were stored back here with her, along with a few first-aid kits. Strange place to end up after you died, wasn't it? And she heard voices.

"This is what happens when I leave you on your own... Do you even realize what you did, police girl? With absolutely no orders from either Sir Integra or myself?"A man's voice. Deep. Upset, yet still serious and collected. He was speaking in English.

"I- I'm very sorry, but - " This one sounded like a young woman, she was stumbling over her words.

"She would have died, yes. But that doesn't change anything. Did she give you permission to change her into one of us?"

"She couldn't have, she was unconscious, she didn't have much time left... I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry, but I couldn't just let her die!"

Konata wondered if they were talking about her... Where had she been? She had been doing a mission. In the Hellsing universe, that was right. So those voices outside... Alucard and Seras. She recognized them now. And this must be one of the Hellsing organization's vehicles that she was in right now.

And what they were talking about...

Konata slowly lifted her hand to check... Her teeth hadn't always been that sharp, had they? She sat up, noticing her shirt and jacket were torn up and absolutely covered in blood. Her own blood. Although the gunshot wound itself had disappeared. So now she was... She felt like she was going to be sick.

This couldn't be happening.

"Alucard... I thought you would want to see this."

"What's this?" A pause. "Loaded with silver bullets. I see. So looks like she knew what she was doing. Interesting..."

"And, um... We also found this on her. Her cell phone. What should we do with it?"

Konata froze. The Talisman. Her only way of getting back home...

"Well, we can't let her have any contact with the outside world now that she's one of us. Give that to me. I'll dispose of it properly."

No, this was not happening... It simply _couldn't_ be happening...

Konata remembered that tomorrow was the first day back to school after Golden Week. At present it didn't seem like she was going to be there. Probably not ever again. So what would everyone think? From their perspective, she would have just vanished... And even if she did manage to get home, she couldn't just live the rest of her life as a vampire. She wouldn't be able to go out in the sunlight, not to mention she would need to drink...

No, she didn't even want to consider how to deal with_ that._

There was nothing else to do now. The injury was completely gone, so she could at least stand up and get out of this ambulance.

"Ah, so you're awake."

She looked over to see a tall, thin figure in a formal red coat and wide-brimmed hat standing beside the ambulance. His eyes were hidden behind large reflective sunglasses. Although she already recognized him as Alucard, she probably wasn't supposed to indicate she know who he was. True, her days of working for Eclipse were probably over, but...

* * *

Chapter 6

When You're Down

* * *

"Wh-what's going on?" Konata said finally.

She had a fairly good idea of what must have happened... She had been shot, apparently fatally. Seras Victoria and the other Hellsing soldiers hadn't been expecting any humans in the village, and therefore hadn't been watching their fire carefully enough. It was likely they hadn't seen her until it was too late. Konata would have been unconscious, probably minutes from death, until Seras had found her and decided to save her life by biting her, allowing her to live but only as a vampire...

And here she was now. Although she couldn't let Alucard know that she had any idea what was going on.

"What happened? I... got shot, didn't I? I thought I was dead." That much was the truth.

"You are." What a comforting thing to say. Konata didn't even have to fake an expression of shock at this revelation.

Standing with Alucard was a young woman with short, messy blond hair in a blue police uniform. Konata recognized her as Seras Victoria, apparently the one who had bitten her based on what Konata had overheard .

"I'm so sorry... You were going to die, I couldn't leave you there..."

"It's... no problem. Thanks, actually," Konata said. Blatant lies.

"If you would excuse us, Seras. I have a few things to discuss with our new recruit."

"Yes, Master..."

Alucard led Konata away from Hellsing's temporary base of operations. Once they were out of earshot, he turned and spoke to her. "I'm interested in one thing in particular... Where exactly are you from?"

She would have to make something up, she couldn't even say she was from Japan, that would raise even more questions on what she was doing here. But she didn't know any locations nearby that she could lie about... "I'm from a small town... not too far from here..."

"No. I get the impression you're from very far away," Alucard said. "From a different world entirely, perhaps."

"Huh? How did you - ?" Konata said.

"I knew as soon as I saw this." He took the Talisman out of his pocket and handed it back to her. "I have one just like it... I personally consider it just a side venture. I can't stand boredom. So tell me... where are you _really_ from?"

So Alucard was... with them? "I'm from... Tokyo. In the... Lucky Star universe." That was what Jason usually called it, anyway. Seemed like a good name.

"And you're still living there?" Alucard said. "You aren't a wanderer?"

A wanderer... That meant what Jason or Kamina was. Someone who no longer lived in their own universe "Um... no, I'm not. I'm still going to school and everything."

"Then you should definitely use that and return." He gestured to the Talisman. "If you simply vanish it would complicate things."

Konata didn't know what to say. She really wanted to go back... but could she? "I don't know if I should... I'm a vampire now, I'm sure that my friends would notice something, and then..."

"Never mind that. If you're still living in your own world, you have to go back there regardless of circumstances." Alucard seemed insistent, even though it sounded like this was against Hellsing's policy. "I'll just say that I have no idea what happened to you. You managed to escape somehow. Now go."

Konata supposed that was the best thing to do... She entered the information in the Talisman and returned home.

* * *

Back in her own world, it was already dark. That was good, but... how long had she been gone? Surely no more than just a few hours...

Her phone rang, she hadn't even put it away yet. The caller ID said it was Jason. She answered.

"Konata! Where are you? What happened?" He sounded very upset. Did he know anything that had happened?

"I'm fine... kind of. I'm in Saitama right now. But... there was a little trouble. I... I'm a vampire now."

Silence on the other end of the line. "_What...?_ How did that - "

"What should I do? This kind of thing hasn't ever happened to me before. Obviously."

"We'll figure something out... Hold on. I'm coming back. I took down our target when you didn't show up."

He hung up, just like that. So the mission was over, although now they had bigger problems to deal with. Within a few minutes Jason materialized beside her.

He saw the blood on her clothes. "Oh... wow. You don't look so good."

"I guess I don't. Getting shot can do that to you," Konata replied.

"You were...?"

"I was turned into a vampire so that I would survive. Otherwise I'd be dead right now..."

"So who bit you?" Jason asked. "I saw when Hellsing arrived. I really didn't expect to see them."

"It was Seras Victoria. I guess that I was hit by some stray bullets fired by her squad. They weren't expecting to see anyone still alive in there. God, this mission really went to hell, didn't it..."

"That's for sure. Do you even realize what you did? You should at least be glad that you're even _partially_ still alive." There it was again, that painful reminder that she really was no longer alive or even human. "I thought I told you to be careful out there!" Jason was silent for a moment, and ran his fingers through his hair. He took a deep breath. "Sorry, but... Next time you might not be so lucky."

"So did you know that Alucard was with us? In Eclipse, I mean."

"He is?" Jason was genuinely surprised. "That's strange... I wonder why they sent us there, then. And they said that Hellsing wouldn't show up. I really have no idea what's going on anymore..."

"Never mind that right now," Konata said. "What are we going to do about me? I mean... This might be slightly inconvenient. I don't even know if I'll be able to go out in the sunlight tomorrow. And I really don't want to take a chance and find out that I can't."

"This is definitely a difficult situation..." He paused for a moment, then looked back at her. "You're feeling too sick to go to school, that's it. You should stay home and rest."

"What...?"

"That's the plan. The best I can come up with, anyway."

Konata couldn't believe it. That was it? She couldn't keep saying she was "just sick," eventually someone would find out it was more than that. And that was what the problem was, more than anything. This was going to blow all their cover. "That might work for a day or two, but -"

"I'll find a cure. There has to be one."

Konata suddenly felt a small twinge of hope. "What? Why didn't you tell me that? How do we do this?"

"I have no idea. But we have access to millions of different worlds, I'm sure there's a cure for vampirism in one of them. I'll try to have it by tomorrow night... whatever it is."

"So you have no idea what you're even looking for... Sorry, but that just doesn't really sound good." Finding one cure among millions of possible worlds? Sure, it was an ability that few other people had, and a definite advantage, but it could take years!

"It's the best I can do." Konata realized that really was all that could be done at the moment. This day just kept getting better and better, didn't it? They began walking towards Konata's house when suddenly she thought of something. Something quite important.

"Now... Can I even go home like this? What's my dad going to say if I walk in with blood all over me?"

Jason stopped. "Good question. That would be interesting, to say the least. Got any ideas?"

"Don't you realize that I depend on you for all of these things? You're the one with the years of experience, aren't you?" They were silent for another moment. "Wait... that thing that you did where you stopped time. Can you do that again? I guess I could... go in and get changed, then go back in like nothing happened. Would that work?"

"If you can get in and out within about two minutes," Jason said. "I could try to hold it still as long as possible, but it's a very limited ability."

"Two minutes... Okay. I'll try that," Konata said.

_So here it goes,_ Konata thought. _If we're not careful today, it could all be over._

* * *

Sojiro Izumi was waiting up for Konata to return home. How late was it? Nearly midnight now? Where could she have gotten to... Ever since Kanata had died, his daughter was all he had left. It was only natural for him to get worried, especially when she was out so late. If anything ever happened to her...

He heard the front door slam closed. That was strange. It just closed, but... when did it open? And then he heard it open and close again. What was that?

"Konata?" He headed towards the door.

Never mind the sounds the door was making. The important thing was that Konata was home now. She was wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt. He noticed that because he was almost certain that hadn't been what she was wearing this afternoon when she had left. Maybe his memory was starting to fail. He was getting old, what a depressing thought.

"Oh, hey Dad..." she said.

"Do you realize how late it is? You had me so worried!"

"Yeah... I kind of lost track of time, and then I missed the train back so I had to wait for the next one... But don't worry, I'm fine," she said. "Well... Actually I might be feeling a little sick." She coughed. "I think I'll just go to bed."

So she had done her best to come back, and she was safe. And Sojiro just couldn't stay mad at his daughter if she wasn't feeling well.

"Yeah, you make sure you get plenty of rest. I'm so glad you're alright," he said.

"Thanks, Dad." Konata headed into her room and closed the door.

* * *

Miyuki was sitting in her seat, early as usual, waiting patiently for class to start. She saw Jason enter the classroom.

"Oh, Jason-kun! Good morning!" she said.

"Oh, hey, Miyuki," he replied. "Did you have a good break?"

"Yes, thank you for asking," she said. "And you?"

"Good..." He sighed. "A bit exhausting, actually."

"Really? What happened?"

"Uh..." He paused. "Studying."

"Have you seen Konata-san, by any chance?" Miyuki asked. "She usually comes in about the same time you do, but I don't see her today."

"I don't know. Maybe late again," Jason replied. "Or she could have caught a cold or something. Who knows?"

"Oh, I hope she's feeling alright. It's probably what you said, she's just late again. Like our teacher," Miyuki said with a slight giggle.

"Oh yeah, Sensei's not here again. This always seems to happen." As Jason said this, the door slammed open and Kuroi rushed into the classroom.

"Okay, sit down everyone, class is starting! You're not on vacation anymore!"

"No need for the rush, Sensei," Jason said. "The bell hasn't rung yet."

"Oh... So it hasn't. Never mind, then," Kuroi replied. She was looking over the classroom, her eyes going to Konata's empty desk out of habit. Not here again. She couldn't help but wonder what it could possibly be this time.

* * *

Sojiro woke up when he heard the phone ringing. He groaned and pulled himself out of bed. Who would be calling at this early in the morning? Obviously someone without the slightest hint of common decency...

He stumbled over and picked up the receiver. "Izumi residence. Hello...?"

"Ah, you must be Konata's father. Is there a reason why she hasn't come to school today?" It was Konata's teacher... Sojiro couldn't quite remember her name. "And a real reason, too, not just an excuse."

Sojiro yawned. "She's didn't go to school? Well, I dunno... she said she wasn't feeling well last night. And she went to bed early. I'll check up on her. I just woke up."

"You've been asleep since -?! I see where she gets it from. Very well."

"Yeah, I'll call you back or something. I'll see what's wrong." He hung up.

What time was it, anyway? He looked at the clock, it was still early morning. Konata should have been at school about two hours ago. She usually went on her own. He noticed her bedroom door was still closed, so he knocked lightly. "Konata? You okay?"

There was a groan from inside. "Wanna sleep..."

He opened the door. The light was off, Konata was still in bed. The curtains over the window had been drawn shut, blocking out the sunlight. He was about to open them when Konata spoke again. "No... leave them there... wanna sleep." He left the curtains as they were.

"Your teacher just called. You're not feeling good today?" He felt her forehead, and drew back his hand the moment he touched her forehead. Not a fever, but instead extremely cold... Was that normal?

"I'm fine, I just need to go back to sleep..." Konata mumbled and rolled over.

Sojiro was starting to feel worried about her, why was she so cold? "Uh, yeah... Just get some rest. I'll take care of you. Just take it easy, okay?"

"Yeah... Just let me sleep..." she said again, almost too softly to hear.

* * *

Kagami arrived at the lunch table. "Hey, Konata's not here today?"

"Either that, or she's setting a new record for being late," Jason said. "She's probably at home sick or something."

"I doubt she's actually sick," Kagami said.

"What? Why's that?"

"Well, in all the time I've known her she never gets sick. It's kind of weird, actually. But she does take days off, because she's good at faking it. Trust me, she probably just wanted an extra day of break."

"I don't know, there have been some summer colds going around again," Miyuki said. "I do hope she feels better soon."

"Hey, you saw her yesterday, didn't you, Jason?" Kagami asked. "How did she seem then?"

Jason looked at her in surprise. "How did you know I saw her yesterday?"

"Just a guess," she said offhandedly.

"Really... Well, I guess she had a bit of a cough. I didn't think it was anything too bad."

"Last night when I called her, she sounded fine," Tsukasa said. "She didn't cough or anything."

"Yeah. Just what I thought," Kagami said. "Anyway, we should probably go over and drop off the work from today. There was a lot of it."

"You're sure you want to go over there?" Jason said. "I mean, she's probably really sick and all, so - "

"Why wouldn't we go visit her? I'm sure it's nothing," Kagami said. "And I mean that literally. I still don't think there's anything wrong with her."

"Yeah... I guess you're right. We should call her first, though, and let her know we're coming over." This was exactly what he had been afraid of.

"I'd like to see how she's doing, too," Miyuki said. "I'll come along with you, if you don't mind."

"Sure... that would be... just fine," Jason said.

* * *

Although at the time it seemed like a good idea, Konata was finding herself unable to just lie in bed all day. She couldn't just go to sleep. And on top of that, she was starting to feel hungry... Not for blood, of course. She may be a vampire, but it was only for a day, Jason was going to find out how to cure it and she would be fine. Or at least she hoped so. She was going to eat something normal, like... instant ramen, maybe. That sounded good.

It looked sunny outside, though she still had the curtains drawn. On any other day, that would be pleasant, she wouldn't mind spending some time outside enjoying the fresh air. But today she had a very legitimate fear of bursting into flames, or... something. She left the curtains closed and carefully walked around the small pool of sunlight they let shine through.

She was beginning to wonder what the appeal of vampires was. Everyone thought they were so cool in anime and manga, but... She was really beginning to feel sick now, on top of all the other things she had to worry about. Sunlight. Her newly-acquired pale appearance and fangs. Not to mention she no longer had a pulse, and she would stop breathing if she wasn't consciously telling herself to do so.

But on the other hand, the only alternative would have been to die back there last night, so this was better than that. A little. Maybe.

"Oh, Konata, you're up," her dad said when she walked into the kitchen. "You feeling any better?"

"Not much..." she said quietly, with no expression. "I was just going to get something to eat..."

"Tell me if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah..."

Konata managed to drag herself over to the cupboard and find some noodles. Her only thought was how hungry she was feeling... When was the last time she had eaten anything? Since... yesterday at lunch? That wasn't too long ago, was it? Not as long as it felt...

"I'm going to take this to my room," she said. "You really don't need to check up on me... I'm fine."

"If you say so..." her dad replied. "You sure you don't need to see a doctor or something? You don't look so good."

Konata stopped. "No. That's not... You really don't need to do that. This should be gone before long. I'm really not feeling that sick, actually."

Konata took her lunch out of the microwave and went to her room. She turned on the lights, it seemed like artificial light was safe at least. She set the noodles down to cool, and found a dating sim to play for a while. There were so many piled up now, left unplayed. She was just too busy now. After a while she tried the noodles, and...

They tasted _awful._ She almost choked. It was similar to what she would imagine eating dirt would taste like.

The expiration date was still a long way off. There wasn't anything wrong with the food itself, it was just...

"I can't even eat regular food?" Konata said to herself. "Man, this sucks..."

She was still feeling hungry.

* * *

After school that day, they met at the train station to go to Konata's house. Jason got out his phone.

"I'll call her first and tell her we're coming," he told the others as he dialed her number. She would need a fair warning in advance, this could potentially turn out very badly... He wondered how Konata had been doing today, making sure her dad didn't find out what was wrong with her. Anyhow, it was about to get worse.

The phone on the other end rang a few times. Would she pick up - ?

"Jason? Did you find out what you need to get yet?" How impatient of her.

"Oh, hey, Konata! You feeling better?" He sounded very casual. Kagami was watching closely, although she couldn't hear what Konata was saying.

"No... You know I'm not feeling better. In fact, it's a lot worse. What are you doing, anyway?"

"Yeah, we thought we'd pay you a visit. Me, Tsukasa, Miyuki, Kagami... You don't mind, do you? We've got today's homework and everything..."

"What?" Suddenly Konata understood. "Everyone is coming over here? Why did you... Uh... I think this should be okay, but don't stay too long. I think I can manage for a little while, at least."

"Sounds good. We'll be over there in a bit." He hung up. Turning to everyone else, he said, "She said she's not feeling good, but it's fine if we want to visit for a while. She sounded pretty bad."

"Really?" Kagami was surprised. "She's not faking it this time?"

"I'm interested to see what Izumi-san's house is like. I've never been there before," Miyuki said.

"Yeah, neither have we," Tsukasa said. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

"So you must be Konata's friends from school. Come on in," Sojiro said.

"Konata's actually sick this time? That's a first," Kagami said, still surprised.

"Thanks for having us over, Mr. Izumi," Jason said. Sojiro looked at him strangely.

"You're a boy..." he said. "Konata didn't say anything about a boy coming over..."

"Really? That's surprising, we've been friends for a while now, since about the beginning of the year actually - "

"What?" Sojiro was shocked, for no readily discernible reason. "Listen, kid, if you do _anything_ to hurt my daughter, so _help_ me I will - "

Jason backed off. "I understand, don't worry. We're just friends. That's all it is. Nothing to worry about."

"Hmm... of course," Kagami said quietly to herself.

They heard a door open and soon Konata had come into the room. "Oh, hey guys, you're here... Thanks for coming. You really didn't have to..."

"Kona-chan, you don't look so good! Are you feeling alright?" Tsukasa said. Not looking so good? That was putting it lightly - Konata really wasn't her usual energetic self. Her skin was pale, especially in contrast with her dark hair and dark grey shirt. Tsukasa didn't like to think this way of her best friend, but... she almost looked scary, somehow.

"I guess I feel about as terrible as I must look. You probably shouldn't stay too long. I'd hate if you caught this," Konata replied. "No idea what it is, but it could be contagious, you know?"

"That's probably a good idea," Jason said. "We'll just stay a few minutes and be on our way."

They followed Konata into her room. It was very dark, the curtains hadn't been opened to let the sunlight in - but then she turned on the lights. "The sun's been giving me a headache. Too bright," she explained.

"Goodness, you really don't know what you came down with?" Miyuki said. "This seems much worse than just a summer cold. I do hope you're feeling better soon."

"Wow, I just thought you were faking it again... But I think you came down with something serious," Kagami said. "By the way, we brought you the homework for today."

Konata took the stack of papers. "Oh... you... really didn't have to," she said in full honesty as she looked through the difficult math problems.

Tsukasa noticed that Konata was always looking down at the ground when she spoke. She wasn't making eye contact, and she kept mumbling... "Are you sure you're okay, Kona-chan? You haven't seen a doctor or anything..."

"No, I don't need a doctor," Konata suddenly looked up at her, eyes wide. Tsukasa wondered... Had they... changed color? No, it was just the light. They looked more red than dark brown in this light for some reason. "Besides..." she looked down again, composing herself. "That would mean I would have to go out in the sunlight, and it's still too bright. I wouldn't be able to open my eyes to see anything out there."

"That sounds terrible..." Miyuki said.

"I'm sure I'll be fine before long," Konata said, with a slight glance towards Jason. "It's probably nothing."

They talked some more for about half an hour, before Konata spoke up again. "I'm feeling... a little tired, so maybe you guys should get going. I think I'll go back to bed for a while, actually."

"Yeah. We probably should leave," Jason agreed.

"Hope you're feeling better, Kona-chan," Tsukasa said. She still couldn't tell what it was about Konata that seemed so strange today... It wasn't just the illness, she seemed to have an entire different aura around her. But it was probably just Tsukasa's imagination, nothing more than that...

* * *

The day couldn't possibly get any stranger, so Konata was reading a manga about what she and her friends had done a few months ago. The surrealistic feeling it gave her almost distracted her from the bigger problem of the day.

So Lucky Star really was just a collection of random conversations between Konata and her friends. What else did they do, though? That was all there was to it, all that was available to write a manga of... So this guy, Yoshimizu Kagami (Konata couldn't help but notice what an interesting coincidence that name was), really believed he just made up all of it. And the people who read it thought it was all made up. Well, Konata had felt the same way about manga and anime until just a few weeks ago.

And yet Konata realized another question was coming up in her mind. Really it had always been present, just hiding in the back somewhere, never coming out into the open.

What did Eclipse see in her?

Sure, she was athletic, smart despite what her grades said, and had an impressive knowledge of different universes that she had previously believed fictional. But other than that, she was just a regular high school girl. She was short and seemed young for her age. She wasn't popular, just had a small group of close friends. Nothing especially fantastic about her.

Then there were the other members. Joshua, the lightning-fast swordsman. Kamina, who was... well, the legendary Kamina of Team Dai-Guren. And now Alucard, who was pretty much invincible.

Where did Konata fit into this?

* * *

Konata was lying awake in bed at about midnight. She was supposed to go to sleep, but... that was what humans did. She wasn't human anymore, she was meant to be awake right now, wasn't she? The thought was troubling.

The phone rang, and just as she had hoped, it was Jason. She answered eagerly.

"So you found it?" she asked. Whatever "it" may be.

"Yeah. You remember our meeting spot, right? Go there now. We'll have this all sorted out," he said. Suddenly Konata was feeling a lot better. This was all going to work...

She headed outside. Now that it was dark she didn't have to worry about sunlight. That had been a real pain. And all of it... avoiding sunlight, her fangs, everything... Nobody had noticed any of it? That was an incredible stroke of luck. Not just because the organization required her to keep it all secret, but also because if her friends had found out she was technically dead... That would have been a real nightmare.

Konata approached the spot they had agreed on, where she found Jason waiting on a bench. He saw her and smiled. She ran to meet him.

"Okay, where is it? I want this to all be over right now," she said.

"Hold on a second..." A flask of cloudy purple liquid appeared in his hand. There must have been about two liters of it. "Drink this."

"What is that? Where did it come from?" Konata asked.

"Trust me on this, you'd rather not know. But this will cure the vampirism."

Konata barely hesitated to uncork the bottle and drink... but nearly spat it out once it touched her lips. "I'm going to be sick..." It had tasted somewhat like she would imagine bleach to be like. Possibly worse. "Are you... sure this is even edible?"

"You either drink all of this, or you'll need to start drinking blood before long," Jason said.

That second option didn't sound so bad - but then Konata realized just what she was considering. That had seemed like a good idea? And it still did, even as she thought about it... And that was really scary. She braced herself and drank all of it. She almost gagged halfway through, but managed to swallow the entire potion.

"So... is that it?" She felt her neck to check for a pulse, but there still wasn't one. Her teeth were still the same. "I don't feel any different."

"Trust me. It'll work... Just give it some time, okay?" Jason told her. "You should be feeling normal in about... oh, six hours. By the time you wake up tomorrow."

* * *

Sure enough, when Konata woke up the next morning, she first noticed her teeth. Back to the normal human shape. And she was breathing. It felt good to do that again. Her skin was its usual color. She was alive. Whatever that horrible potion had been, it had helped. As of yet, there were no side effects, either. It probably hadn't been bleach after all.

It had almost been too easy. And... more importantly, nobody had suspected anything more than just a regular disease. She should probably keep it up today, though - a few coughs here and there, complain about slight headaches, but still feeling well enough to go to school.

She now realized. Being part of Eclipse wasn't just a game. If she wasn't careful, this could happen again - or worse, she could actually die next time. This was all real. It wasn't an anime, her survival wasn't guaranteed. But at least this time, things had turned out alright. For just this one occasion.

Konata got up and put on her school uniform. Life goes on.


	7. The Waiting

Kagami saw Jason and Konata leave the school building that afternoon... together, as usual. She could tolerate it, except for that they kept to themselves so much. She often felt like whatever topic they were discussing would change the moment they noticed she was around. Not that Kagami didn't know what it was they were hiding.

She had mentioned it to her before, how much Konata would overreact if she thought Kagami had overheard any of the conversation.... But Konata still wasn't admitting anything about their relationship. It was so obvious what was going on, did she really think nobody knew about it?

On this occasion, they weren't talking to each other at all as they walked out.

"Hey, you guys free after school today?" Kagami asked.

"Nah. I've got kendo team today," Jason said. "Maybe some other time."

"But of course, you don't have anything like that, do you, Konata?" Kagami said.

"Well, actually I just got a part time job, and I start working today."

"What? You got a...?"

"Yeah, I should get heading over there," Konata said. "I'll see you guys later, then?"

Kagami hadn't been expecting that. As Jason headed towards the gym and Konata left for the train to Akihabara, Kagami couldn't help but wonder... What kind of place would hire somebody like Konata?

* * *

Chapter 7

Don't It Feel Like Something From A Dream

* * *

This was actually more of her second part time job - not that anyone had to know that. And this one she was doing for the money. Sure, every night Konata was out there battling evil and saving lives, but that wasn't going to pay for her other hobbies.

She was dressed in a blue school uniform, almost like the Ryoo one but with some slight differences. She also had on a yellow hairband and a brigade leader sash on her left arm. She looked just like Haruhi, except her hair was longer... But management had been impressed with how well she could imitate Haruhi's voice and mannerisms.

Konata passed out the menus to her customers. She recognized them from school - Yamato Jiro and Kihara Yuji. "The first hour's going to be 800 yen. Enjoy," she said.

"Okay. Thanks," Jiro said as he looked over the menu.

Yuji was smiling. "This looks fun, I've never been somewhere like this before -"

"Now are you going to order something or just sit there?" Konata's voice had changed completely. The two boys stared at her, their eyes wide. "Come on! If you take too long it's the death penalty!"

"Huh? Wh- what? I haven't even gotten a chance to look at the menu!"

"Excuses, excuses! Your brigade leader commands you to wait here," she said. "And you better have decided by the time I get back!" With that, she left the two customers with their jaws open nearly to the floor in shock. In other words, a job well done.

A thought occurred to her. If her otaku knowledge was really what Eclipse seemed to like about her, then it was only a matter of time before they let her go into Haruhi's world, right? After all, you couldn't find a bigger fan of the show than Konata. She was perfect for it...

All she had to do was wait it out. Keep taking these missions, probably go to every other world of anime and video games that she had ever heard of... and before long they would trust her enough to let her meet Haruhi.

But until then... It was time to do their Hare Hare Yukai performance. She'd been practicing. She headed up to the stage.

* * *

The sky was clear the day of the festival. In the distance, you could hear the sound of the ocean waves, steadily beating against the coast. And of course, Leene's Bell was ringing to celebrate the Millennial Fair, up at the tip of a polished stone archway in the center of the square.

Konata stood on the steps, leaning on the handrail as she watched a boy with red spiky hair run straight into a girl, dressed in white with a blond ponytail. They were sending up event flags right there. And, Konata reminded herself, they actually were - this marked the beginning of a journey through time, to save the very existence of their world... although that wasn't what she was here for.

That was how it was supposed to work, or at least how Konata used to think it worked - heroes are drawn into a long, epic quest against a powerful enemy and all his minions, fighting for the greater good of mankind. And for some people, like those two over there, that was what happened.

For Konata, it was just more random missions in unrelated worlds each night. Was it wrong to wish for some long, drawn-out conflict against a rival organization or something? That would be so much more exciting.

The two were looking for the girl's necklace, which had fallen off. Konata had been watching it. She saw exactly where it had landed, but she still stood and watched. Once the boy found it, he gave it back to the girl and they set off together to enjoy the rest of the festival.

There it was - this was the beginning of Chrono Trigger, a great classic of a game and one of Konata's dad's favorites. If he knew where she was now, wouldn't he be impressed? And of course, if he knew what she was here for he'd probably be scared to death. But he didn't have to know about any of that.

Konata decided to leave this area. She was supposed to be asking around, gathering intel about... something or other. They hadn't even told her what it was. She saw one of the villagers walking past and decided to ask him. As good a place as any to start.

"Hey, uh... sir? Could I ask you something?"

"Certainly." He looked at Konata strangely, no doubt examining her armor and the sword on her back. A kodachi, which she had just bought from a merchant today. "You're not from around these parts, are you?"

"Great observation," Konata replied. Time to have the same conversation she had had with at least seven other villagers today. "I was actually wondering if... you know, anything strange has been going on?"

"Like what? People showing up to a festival fully armed for battle?"

"I have a good reason for that!" Geez, everyone she asked was always so put off by that. "Well, you see... There's this old... legend, I guess you could say. A portal to another dimension is supposed to open around here. I'm trying to figure out where that is, and if anything dangerous is coming from it."

Now the townsman was looking at her like he was absolutely certain she was insane. "Another dimension? You serious? You think things like that actually exist?"

"I suppose it's possible," Konata replied. And like every other person who asked if she "actually believed in crazy things like that" (that had been the usual phrasing they used) she wasn't allowed to say any more than that. Just some old legend, that's all. Not a mission briefing. And she _definitely_ wasn't from one of those alternate dimensions herself, that was important too.

Konata already knew what he was going to say next. And just as she predicted, the next thing this man said to her was, "I'd check out what Lucca's been working on. Some sort of dimensional... transport device, or something like that. Says it'll 'teleport' stuff. Whatever that means."

"Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to check that out," she replied. _Not like I've heard the same thing over and over again from everyone here._

Was that really all there was? She had played this game before, it was a great RPG, and all that happened with Lucca's teleporter was someone else's quest. And no sort of "interdimensional threat" appeared after it was used. Just a time hole. Still weird, but it was meant to happen. Fate, you could say.

"Interesting," Konata said. "I'll check that out."

It was so tiring getting the same responses from everyone she asked. Konata figured she might as well watch the demonstration, it would be better than nothing. But until that was ready, she decided to check out the rest of the festival.

There was just so much food... Mountains of it, in every place you looked. Konata laughed a bit, thinking about how much Kagami would love it here.

Although Kagami was such a realist all the time - she was always the one telling Konata that life wasn't an anime and all that. She just wouldn't be able to adapt to something like this. And Tsukasa? She had enough trouble figuring out just their own world, let alone any extra ones. Miyuki... Konata did love her moe-ness, but out here it wouldn't be any good. She had learned early on that the danger in these places was real.

No, none of them would ever be part of this.

As she was thinking over that, someone announced that the demonstration of the teleportation device was about to begin. There was a surprising lack of interest, although a few people started heading towards it. Konata decided to join them.

The machinery was set up in a small courtyard towards the north end of the festival grounds. Two large makeshift metal platforms were set up about ten feet apart, with some complex-looking control panels. They looked out of place, considering the relative lack of any technology around this place.

Konata saw Jason standing towards the back of the crowd. "Hey," she said as she went over to stand with him. "You came to watch, too? How'd the investigation go?"

"No luck. Everyone said that this was the only thing happening that was out of the ordinary, and like you said earlier... This is exactly what happens in the game, nothing we need to concern ourselves with," he said. "Usually when portals appear there's something leading up to them. They don't just come out of the blue. Somebody would have seen something..."

They watched as the red haired boy from earlier entered with the girl. He volunteered to test out the machine. Just as Konata had known he would. As he stepped into the first teleportation chamber, he seemed to evaporate... and appeared safely in the opposite chamber. He repeated it several times.

"Looks like it's working fine," Konata said.

"I suppose that's a good thing," Jason said. "But what was the mission report about, then?"

That was when the girl stepped up and decided to try it out.

"Watch this, it's going to react to her pendant and send her back in time..." Konata said. "This should be fun to see in person."

And, as she had predicted, a swirling blue portal opened up in the center of the courtyard, pulling the girl into it instead of to the other chamber. Everyone else in the audience who wasn't expecting it was shocked, and the red haired boy quickly went in after her.

The blue portal faded and closed, leaving no trace behind. There was silence in the courtyard, all of them shocked into silence except maybe Konata and Jason, who had expected this entirely.

"So that's it, then?" Konata said. "Nothing's happening. Let's go."

"Yeah... I'd say I was disappointed, but at least the festival's still okay, right?" Jason looked around, knowing that it was definitely not still okay, with the time portal opening up and taking away two people just like that. Lucca, the girl genius who had invented this whole apparatus, was working on the power systems furiously, trying to figure out what to do. "Maybe that's not quite the right choice of words, but... This was meant to happen."

"Yeah," Konata said. They turned to walk away, to find some isolated spot to warp back into Konata's own universe.

That was when there was a noise like lightning fizzling.

They turned around to see what appeared to be a portal opening again in the same spot, although it was red and moved chaotically. Lucca's face brightened up. "I think I got it - "

And then there was a howl. An unearthly, ear-shattering howl coming as if through a long tunnel.

As the portal took shape - although there was no shape to it, not really - a long, curved beak came out of it. That was the closest anyone could compare it to, it wasn't like any sort of animal's beak that Konata had ever seen.

"Hey, looks like we got our target," Jason said. He drew his weapon. Then, louder, he said, "Alright, everyone get away from here. Now." People were already leaving without anyone telling them to. Turning to Konata, who was frozen with shock, he told her, "Get your weapon ready. This one looks big."

Konata suddenly snapped back. "Wha- ? yeah. Okay." _I really need to calm down... We can take this. Whatever it is._

The creature had left the portal, which was shrinking but had not entirely disappeared. It was unlike any sort of animal Konata had ever seen - real or fictional. It most closely resembled a bird, although it would have been a bird that was twenty feet tall, had an extra leg, had suffered third-degree burns all over its raw and pinkish body, and - maybe most disturbingly - did not have any eyes. It was stumbling around blindly, crashing into the scientific equipment and knocking one of the two teleportation portals to the ground.

"What the hell _is_ this thing?" Konata said.

"Damned if I know," Jason said. "Just kill it." They were speaking loudly over the thing's pained screeching and clawing - and it heard them.

It turned its long neck towards them, and its beak stabbed down, missing Konata by inches as she jumped back.

"You okay?" Jason said.

"Yeah," Konata said. "I think it can hear us, but it can't see us."

The bird-thing turned towards her again, this time grazing by Konata's arm and leaving a long gash. She winced at the pain.

"You okay?" Jason said. They were used to taking some damage - no way that it could ever turn out as bad as Konata's first mission had been, that was for sure.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Hold it off for a while, alright?" She crouched down. Time to see if she remembered how to do this healing spell. As she passed her hand over the wound, it began to fade away gradually.

Jason stood by one of the control panels, clanging his sword against it which was enraging the enemy. Konata reminded herself that was all it was - just a boss enemy, albeit a large, disturbing-looking one that was not just an image on a screen. But a boss enemy all the same. It turned its attention to the noise, as Jason vanished and reappeared behind it to attack it from the rear.

"Let's double-team it," he said. "It's confused."

"Right!" As it turned towards Jason, on the other end of the courtyard, Konata also attacked it from the rear, following his example. It was good having an experienced player to help you out, wasn't it?

Now it whirled around again, almost comically. Konata waited for the right moment - as it tried to attack with its beak, she thrust the blade directly into its face. If you could call that a face. With an agonized squawk, it fell to the ground, one of the three legs twitching.

God, that thing was ugly.

"So... it's dead now, right?" she asked. Even when it was still, you still couldn't quite tell what it was. It definitely wasn't from Chrono Trigger - not even the mutants from the game were quite that disgusting.

"It would appear so. Nice work," Jason said.

"We're just going to leave it there?"

"I'm not touching that thing."

Konata could agree with that. Whatever universe it had stumbled in from, she hoped she would never have to go there. It was worse than the effects of nuclear radiation, genetic experiments... anything that was possible in the normal world, really.

_Where had it come from?_

* * *

"So you know that mission we did last night... I've always wondered why we don't use any sort of magic to erase memories of what we do. It seems like they always do that kind of thing when you read about it," Konata said.

It was after school the next day. They were waiting at the train station, which was largely vacant as usual at this time of day. It was quiet except for some cicadas buzzing. That sound always let you know when summer was almost here...

"That's a good question..." Jason replied. "They never told me that I have to. I guess I just never considered it."

"But wouldn't it be better if they didn't remember when creatures like... that thing... appeared? I thought the whole alternate universes thing was supposed to be, you know... secret," Konata said.

"Hey, I thought I might see you two here," Kagami suddenly said from behind them.

Konata whirled around in shock. "K-Kagami! How long have you been here?"

"I just got here... No need to have that look on your face. This is what I was talking about earlier, whenever I come up to you it's like you instantly drop your conversation."

"Well, yeah, b-but..."

"You're just talking about some anime or something, aren't you? Why do you get so nervous?" Kagami said.

Konata said nothing. That was what it sounded like, wasn't it? So there was nothing to worry about... There was no reason for any of her friends to suspect anything. It all sounded so crazy, anyway, if you didn't know it was for real.

"You're always wandering off on your own lately, and you've been acting so strange. You didn't even stop to talk to me after school today. What's with you lately?" Kagami really seemed worried. She was a good friend, but... If she ever found out what was really happening, Konata couldn't even imagine how she would react. Not to mention how Eclipse would react.

Kagami changed the subject. "Anyway, you said something about a part-time job yesterday? Me and Tsukasa just couldn't think what kind of place could possibly hire you."

"Oh, just a regular old cosplay cafe. You know," Konata said.

"Seriously...?" Kagami said flatly. "I guess I should have known it would be something like that. It's perfect for you."

"Yeah, it's really fun! Not to mention all the extra cash it brings in," Konata said. "I finally have enough to pay for all the new manga and games coming out."

"Or you could just stop buying so many copies of everything, and that would leave you with a lot more money..."

"Kagamin, you just don't get it at all, do you..." Konata shook her head and sighed. "Anyway, we're heading over to Gamers. You wanna come?"

"No thanks. You two... go do whatever it is you do."

The train pulled into the station. Once they were on, Konata said, "Speaking of my new job..."

Jason interrupted her. "What made you decide to go out and get a job, anyway? Just curious."

"Well, I was reading that part in the manga where I decided to get a job, and I thought it sounded like a good idea, you know? So I decided to do it."

"You decided to get a job because you read about yourself doing that in a manga based on events in your life which haven't happened yet..."

"That's not against any rules, is it?"

"No, I'm just trying to wrap my head around it."

"Okay. Anyway, I found out I do a pretty good imitation of Haruhi's voice. I didn't even know I could do that. And it got me thinking... who does my voice on the anime of Lucky Star? I mean, it's probably some person I've never heard of, but..."

Jason looked over at her. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you it was Aya Hirano, would you..." he said.

She laughed. "Of course not. How could she? I mean, she's part of this universe too, isn't she? Who really does my voice?"

"Well..."

Suddenly Konata realized he was serious. "You mean... Aya Hirano plays me in the anime? That's just... crazy, and yet... totally amazing!" She could hardly sit still. "She exists in other worlds?"

"Of course. Considering all the possible worlds out there, there's hundreds of copies of just about everyone."

Konata was beaming. That was understandable, considering she had just discovered her voice actress was her idol. Jason couldn't help but wonder how she could be so much of an otaku that knowing her life was all considered fictional wasn't a problem for her. Konata was just ecstatic to find out new things about her manga and anime, not to mention her fandom. She didn't even realize just how much of an icon she herself was.

"Hmm... you know what else I just realized?" she said suddenly.

"What's that?"

"Well, with my new job at the cafe, and with my organization membership... Not to mention the mission last night took place in 1000 A.D., that would make me..."

"Yeah?" Jason couldn't see where she was going with this.

"A battle waitress from the future!" Konata exclaimed.

He was silent for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "Oh my god, you're right. Now you're just like Mikuru Asahina..."

Konata was one of those people who truly enjoyed their lifestyle.


	8. Space Oddity

"Hey, you ever notice how in anime and stuff, Tokyo is always getting, like, completely destroyed?" Konata asked.

It was lunch. She was eating her chocolate cornet, as usual. And, just as predictably, Kagami and Tsukasa were eating homemade bento lunches and Miyuki was eating the leftovers from her dinner last night - which were better than any of their lunches, and quite possibly the fanciest lunch in the entire school, for that matter. Jason was in the cafeteria waiting to buy a lunch. Life here was predictable. Konata couldn't decide if that was good or bad.

"You're right, it does seem that way," Kagami said.

"It always makes me nervous, since it's so close to where we live..." Tsukasa said. "But I guess that's silly, right? Those sort of things don't actually happen."

"If they did, I doubt we'd be sitting here right now," Kagami said. "The city would've been gone a long time ago."

"Actually, Tokyo has a history of sustaining major damage, especially in early history when buildings were often made of wood. Construction didn't hold up well to natural disasters such as storms and earthquakes," Miyuki said. "Although modern construction is much sturdier against threats of that kind."

"Well, I was thinking more like when they have giant monsters and things like that," Konata said. "Aliens. Robots. Ever wonder what it would be like to have something like that show up one day?"

"You always think of the strangest things, don't you..." Kagami sighed.

"Seriously, though. Giant monsters always go for Tokyo," Konata said. "No exceptions."

"People do seem to enjoy watching monster movies to see all the destruction..." Miyuki said.

"And there's a lot to destroy here, with all the buildings," Kagami said. "Isn't it weird, though? Why is that sort of thing so popular?"

"I don't like movies like that very much..." Tsukasa said.

Jason came into the room carrying a tray of beef curry. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Konata. "Hey, so what's our random topic of conversation today?"

"We were talking about why in anime and movies they always have Tokyo getting blown up and stuff," Kagami said. "Don't ask me how it started."

"I have noticed that..." Jason said. "It's either here or New York City, isn't it? I guess it depends on where the movie's made. People like to see their own major cities leveled."

"But then how do they end the movie? If everything gets destroyed..." Tsukasa asked.

"The military comes in, or something like that," Konata was speaking in between bites of her cornet. "You think the military has special giant-monster-defeating training? It takes a different strategy than fighting other human forces would."

"That would be one way to spend tax dollars," Kagami said. "But we all know that it's never going to happen, so just face it - the city's not going to be destroyed, so you're not getting out of taking exams."

Konata looked down and sighed.

* * *

Chapter 8

You've Really Made The Grade

* * *

"I forgot all about exams," Jason said as they left school that day. "When are those, again?"

"Right before summer break," Konata answered. "Middle of July. It's really nothing to worry about. I don't even study until the night before, and I've always done alright."

"So how do these compare with the mid-terms back in May?"

"Right, those... I remember. You didn't do so well, did you?"

He paused, then said, "I left my world when I was in sixth grade, so being here, in a higher grade, not to mention a different country... It's been difficult."

Konata was surprised to hear him say anything about where he came from. His entire past seemed to be a mystery, even what kind of missions he had done before showing up in Lucky Star. Of course she was curious, but he always dodged the questions if she asked them. "It doesn't even matter for you, does it? You're not even from this world, it's not going to count on your record even if you fail."

"Passing it is part of appearing to be a regular student," Jason said. Konata realized that was true. She had always wondered how it must be for those magical, time-traveling, or in this case interdimensional transfer students in manga and anime, trying to adapt to normal life. He continued, "That being said, I'm probably not going to be available to help you on missions for a while."

"Seriously?" She sighed. "So what do we do? We take a break?" Konata wasn't looking forward to that. Pre-exam weeks were when she needed to get away the most.

"I was actually thinking you could go by yourself."

Konata stared at him. "Wait, go alone? Are you... sure?"

"You've got talent. I think you'll be able to take this one mission... It's actually a specific request I recieved," Jason said. "I'm sure you remember Kamina?"

"Of course." All who face the Dai-Guren brigade and see the face of its mighty demon leader, the great Kamina, will remember him for as long as they live. Or something like that.

"He recently took a job in the Cowboy Bebop universe, taking down an elusive crime syndicate. Nobody could take them down, so Eclipse found them and sent someone in."

"That was probably no problem for him." Konata imagined his giant mecha, armed with even giant-er drills, against... wait, people in the Bebop universe had nothing to compare to a fighting robot. It would have been over in seconds. If the mission guidelines allowed him to do that, she reminded herself. "What does this have to do with us?"

"We lost contact with him. He never filed the mission as completed, and attempts to call him have all failed. Knowing him, he's probably fine, but... We need to get him back."

"He... lost his Talisman, I'm guessing?" Konata asked. She always kept hers close by, but to lose it... that really would be a problem. In fact, that had very nearly happened to her once.

"It was destroyed, most likely. Your job is to find him and take him back to headquarters so that he can get a replacement."

"We have... well, Eclipse has... a headquarters? Why was I unaware of that?" Konata was in shock.

"It's not like we do very much there..." Jason said. "It's not that interesting a place. It's mostly just for research and management. I'll give you the coordinates so that you can go there once you've found Kamina."

"Okay..." Konata was looking forward to this now. Seeing the Eclipse headquarters could be enlightening. What sort of universe did they center their operations in? And more importantly... what could she learn there? "Anything else I need to know?"

"When you meet up with Spike, just mention my name to him. He should understand."

* * *

"_Hola, amigos!_ It's time again for Big Shot! And we've got news for you regarding the elusive Miro Syndicate!"

Spike stared at the screen, unimpressed by Punch and Judy's over-the-top enthusiasm for criminals. He was kicked back on the couch, his jacket hung over the back and his feet up on the table while he watched the television.

Had somebody already stopped those guys over at Miro? It was a low-key operation, with brilliant computer hacking skills. They had stolen millions of woolongs out of the banks. The ISSP had offered a fifty million woolong bounty for anyone able to find and arrest the leader. They had been trying to track them down for weeks. Another opportunity, down the toilet.

"The Miro Syndicate? You mean the guys with the fifty million bounty?" Judy asked.

_Yes, anyone who has watched this show in the past three months would know about them,_ Spike thought. _Once again, thank you for being so informative._

"_Si!_ The very same! It appears that they have been stopped by an unidentified bounty hunter - and, even more interesting, he has actually refused to accept the reward money!" Punch said, in that godawful fake Mexican accent.

"How surprising!" Judy said.

Spike was growing increasingly annoyed. How could someone just take that fifty million out from everyone else - from _him_ - and then not even accept it? He wasn't even in the mood to hear the new bounties. He turned the TV off and lit a cigarette.

"Did I just hear that somebody caught Stephen Miro?" His longtime partner, Jet Black, stepped into the room. "How on Earth did they manage that? Those guys had absolutely no leads on their location, no information available anywhere... They were practically invisible. Whoever caught them must be good."

"And richer than us. They turned down the money," Spike said.

"I'll be damned." Jet scratched his bald head. "So what job do we take next?"

"No clue," Spike replied. That was when his phone rang. His other phone, for what Spike considered his side project. He stepped into another room to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Is this... Spike Spiegel?" He didn't recognize the voice.

"Yeah. And, seeing as you're on this line, I'm guessing you're calling about something with Eclipse. Well, I've got some free time now." Now that he didn't have a fifty million woolong bounty left to worry about earning. "What's this about?"

"Yeah, I'm with the organization, Spike... Oh wow, this is so cool... Well, umm... anyway, I'm supposed to meet up with you. I'm on Mars right now... that's kind of weird... Oh, right. I've got a location here that I'm supposed to meet you at."

Spike could tell a few things from how this person was speaking. She apparently knew him from somewhere, so maybe she was... a fan of that show? He remembered when he had first found out that there was an animated TV show about the Bebop. It had taken some getting used to... especially when his life reverted to the animated style of said TV show. That aside, based on her comment about being on Mars as "weird," Spike could also infer that she was from one of those universes where she had only ever lived on Earth.

"Fine then. I can probably meet up with you..." Spike thought for a moment, calculating. "Tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"Well, you see, we're kind of out of the way at the moment. If you're on Mars, it'll take me a while to get over there."

"Right... Sorry, I'm not used to this whole space travel thing. I'm Konata, by the way. It's going to be so awesome working with you!"

"Great, then..." A part of him wished he shared her excitement. "Now what was that location?"

* * *

Spike looked around. It seemed to be a rough part of town. The buildings here were showing their age, and graffiti had been scrawled across most of them. This was where he was supposed to meet his contact. Some sort of assignment from Eclipse that took place right here, in his own universe. That didn't happen often.

He didn't have any sort of visual clue to find his contact with. Konata, that had been her name. It sounded Asian - Japanese, to be exact. And her voice suggested she was young, maybe in her teens, but he couldn't be sure. Spike wasn't enthusiastic about working with some kid. There had been that other time, though...

He noticed a girl with long, bright blue hair flagging him down. That had to be her. Way to keep a low profile. He sighed and ambled over to meet her.

"You're my contact?" he asked, examining her. She couldn't possibly look more out-of-place in these back alleys. At least that hair was probably a more normal color to the casual observer.

"Yeah! It's great to meet you in person," she said. "By the way, I'm supposed to mention that I've been working with Jason Ellis, if that name means anything to you."

"Ellis?" Spike did remember, in fact. He'd been working with... her? "Yeah, I remember him. How's he doing?"

"He couldn't come tonight because he's studying for exams, back in my universe," she explained. "But usually he comes on every mission I do to help me. I just started a few months ago."

"I couldn't tell." There was dry sarcasm in his voice. "I just can't imagine him sitting down to do school work, though. It's good to hear back from him."

Konata was in a cheerful mood, which Spike envied. "It's going to be so fun working with you on this."

"Personally I could be doing a lot better than I am right now," he said, thinking of that lost bounty. Fifty million woolongs. That was no small change. "What's this assignment about? We're taking it in this universe, so... Anything that'll pay?"

"They said it was search and recovery. We sent in a guy to take down some crime group - Miro something or other - "

Spike put a hand up. "Hold on a minute. Eclipse sent in somebody else to take down a _fifty million woolong_ bounty head?"

She reached into a pocket of her jacket and took out a picture of a confident-looking young man with spiky blue hair and flashy triangular sunglasses. "Yeah. His name's Kamina, I've worked with him before so - "

"Why the hell didn't they just tell me where he was? No wonder this guy turned down the bounty, but I could have used that!" Spike was fuming. "I don't suppose I'd be able to accept the bounty from him, it's probably too late for that..."

"I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it, but you never seem to get much money from bounties. I've seen your show before. It's kind of an ongoing theme, you know?" Konata offered.

Just as he had expected - he had a fan. Apparently she got some sort of sick enjoyment out of watching Spike and his crew starve. "An ongoing theme... Yeah, I can see that. Either way, I'm not too enthusiastic about how this show plays out."

"Really?" Konata said. "I've appreciated my life much more since I realized it was an anime. Like, how boys in my universe never pay any attention to me or my friends, but we've got tons of fans of our anime and stuff."

"So what you mean is... I should be completely fine with not getting any bounty money, because the people who make the Cowboy Bebop television series in some other world are making tons of money off of it that I'll never see a single penny of."

"Well, yeah."

Spike groaned. "I wish I could be that optimistic, but I'm too hungry for that."

Here he was, in some random slum on Mars, with an overenthusiastic fan. He wondered exactly how long it had been since Konata had started working with Eclipse. More importantly, why had they _let_ her? Add that to the fact that they had taken fifty million out from under him... He just couldn't let that go. With that much money he could have taken it easy for a few months, at least.

"So what's the deal with meeting up with you here?" he asked. On top of everything else, the atmosphere of this depressing little corner of the solar system wasn't doing much for him.

"This is where the syndicate was located, so we're supposed to start looking here for information." She started leading him down the street, so he followed. Reaching a locked side door on one of the buildings, they stopped. "This should be the right place..."

Spike looked at the door. It was dark, unmarked, insignificant... If this was really where the syndicate had been working from, no wonder nobody had found them. There was also a lock on the door. "Did they give you a key, too?"

Konata said nothing, but instead took out a pistol and fired a few shots directly at the lock until it broke.

"Jesus! Someone's going to hear you if you go around doing things like that!" But nobody was coming after them, and Spike figured they were probably used to hearing things like that anyway.

"It's open. Let's check it out," Konata said with a grin. As they stepped inside the dark interior, Konata lit a fire - directly in her hand, apparently with magic. Spike had always just used guns and his own physical strength, even on alternate-world missions. It was what he was comfortable with. But he had to admit, those magic abilities did come in handy.

The orange glow of the flame didn't reveal much - from the looks of it, this place had already seen enough fire. Probably not too long ago. The walls were blackened, and scraps of charred paper were all over the floor. A desk had been knocked over. If this had been anyone's headquarters, it had been abandoned some time ago.

"Hmm," Konata said. "You think Kamina did this? He'd be likely to go over the top in defeating them."

"Looks more to me like they wanted to get rid of evidence," Spike replied, sifting through the ashes on the ground for anything left intact. "Miro was arrested, but he still refuses to tell anything about what they were doing. All we know for sure is that they needed millions to fund it. Chances are, one of his members came by and torched the place so that nobody would find anything. Which suggests there was something much worse than robbing banks going on."

Konata looked around some more, but it was all wrecked. "I guess there's no leads here, then. No idea where we should go next."

"He's probably still on this planet. In this town, in fact. You can't get out of these cities without a spacecraft." He was about to give up looking through the rubble when he found something. "Wait, look at this. Shine the light over here so I can read it."

It was a scrap of paper, charred but still partially legible. The phrase "would allow for feasible temporal" were visible, written in a messy hand, along with the next line which read "system for displacement of matter among multiple." Below that was the top of a concept sketch, some kind of archway.

Konata examined it carefully. "I don't get it, what's this about?"

"Looks to me like they were doing research here. And from the looks of it, this is what Eclipse was interested in them for. 'Temporal displacement' is just another word for time travel. Possibly something bigger was in the works."

"They were going to develop a device to travel to other universes," Konata guessed.

"Possibly. That's actually the kind of thing someone else was trying on the mission where I worked with Ellis. Some research facility created a resonance cascade, I don't really know how they managed it... but it caused some trouble for them. The government was in on it, all sorts of crazy stuff - but Eclipse is very sensitive about these things. If Miro was even a minor potential threat they would have stopped him before he made any kind of progress."

"I see..." Konata said. "Jason never told me about that."

"He handled it excellently. There was even talk of moving him to a higher position when it happened." Spike paused for a moment. "But you say that right now he's back in your universe taking final exams, so maybe he didn't get so far with that."

It was interesting, though, as Spike considered it - in that other mission, which would be two years ago now, scientists had developed that technology in 1999. Here they were now, in the middle of the twenty-first century, and it was only now being developed. By criminals, no less. This was what they meant by things happening in an infinite number of possible ways, wasn't it?

Konata looked over the scrap of notes one more time. Resonance cascades, temporal displacement... This was all too scientific for her to care about. "It's all over, though. So now... where do you think Kamina would go? If he finished here, and arrested Miro... You said something about possibly trying to get a spacecraft to leave the city?"

"That's just a possibility."

"That's exactly the kind of thing he would do, though." If he could hijack giant robots, Konata just knew that a spacecraft would be no problem for him. "That would be fairly simple for him, to tell the truth."

"...Shit," Spike remarked.

"So where would he go? What's the nearest space port, or whatever it is?"

"Probably the place I parked. Come on," he said. He dropped his cigarette, smothered it with his foot, then walked out the door.

* * *

The Swordfish II was where Spike had left it, various other spacecraft were landed nearby. How long had Konata said this guy - Kamina - had been here? A week, by now? There was a chance that he was still in the area nearby. After all, he probably wanted to get back to wherever it was he came from. Spike got an impression of extreme eccentricity from the photograph, but when you'd seen as much of the solar system as he had, people like that were almost commonplace.

"You think you saw this guy somewhere, then?" Spike was questioning a local barkeep, using the single photo they had of their subject.

"I wouldn't forget someone like that, trust me," he replied. "He was spouting something crazy about the spacecraft not having enough drills or something like that. Now what would someone want a _drill_ for? What're you gonna dig through in space? Would you try flying through asteroids or something like that?"

"I don't know. Look, just tell me when you saw him," Spike said.

"You're a bounty hunter, ain't you? What'd this guy do?"

"Nothing. This is search and rescue, you could say."

"Rescue? He sure needed some help, I can tell you that."

"When did you see him?" Spike said, more insistently than before.

The barkeep shrugged. "I don't know, maybe a few days ago."

"And he was interested in taking one of the spacecraft? Do you know if he might have stolen one or anything like that?"

"Nah, like I said, he wasn't too impressed by 'em."

Spike thanked him and left the bar. At least they had a lead now. A few days ago Kamina had been browsing around, looking at spacecraft, like someone would shop for a car or something, albeit with some very strange preferences. But in the space of a few days, he could have settled for something else, something without drills just to get out of this town. After all, who _wouldn't_ want to leave here?

He noticed that now-familiar flicker of blue hair out of the corner of his vision. "Hey, Spike! You find anything?"

"He was here, alright. Sometime in the past few days, looking for a ride with added drills. I can't imagine he got too far with that."

"You think he took one?" She realized what that would mean. "If he did... how are we going to find him in this entire solar system?"

Spike shrugged. "Go to the next crater over. Ask around if anyone's seen him, like we have been. When somebody gets stranded on a foreign universe it'll be a long, tedious job finding them. If he could've just stayed in one place - "

"This sucks. I'll have to come back later then... I don't have much longer before I have to get back home. Maybe just an hour or so. There's school tomorrow." Konata sighed.

"Sounds fun. At this rate, we'll be working on this for a few weeks, maybe months..." Konata groaned. He continued,"What do you say we start looking around for a bit before then?" Spike turned and walked back down the street, feeling increasingly hopeless about this assignment. Maybe in the meantime Jet would have some luck, get some bounty money and share it with his close friend and partner... "Say, you got a job or something that you do for cash? Sure, this kind of thing is thrilling, but I'm sure you need to get some extra money."

"I'm a cosplay waitress," Konata said, with pride.

"You're - ?" He stared at her. A waitress, who by night took down criminals and monsters in other universes. This girl was absolutely insane. "I see. Just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"You bet."

They were almost back at the ship. Konata seemed excited to have the opportunity to see it in real life, and Spike was surprised how much she knew about it. The fact that it was a re-purposed racing ship, the modified heavy-artillery weapons...

Once the Swordfish II was in sight, Spike realized that was probably what had caught Kamina's eye. All of those machine guns, heavy weaponry, making it obviously much more dangerous than most of these crafts. And much more suited to Kamina's tastes. He was standing on the top of the ship, trying to force the cockpit open.

"Hey, nice seeing you here," Spike said. He was somewhere in between pissed off and truly happy - this cut days, no, weeks off this godforsaken assignment. What were the chances of this happening? It was almost too unlikely to be a coincidence, but what else would it be?

Kamina whirled around. "Who the hell are you?!" he demanded, pointing down at them.

"I'm the guy who owns that ship. Hey, be gentle with that, I don't have the money to get repairs."

"As of today, this ship belongs to me! Kamina! This is the only one in this lousy place deserving of the honor of being mine! So back off!"

"Hey, Kamina!" Konata said, waving him down.

"Hmm? Hey, you're that girl! I remember you!"

"We we were looking for you, so that I could get you out," Konata said. "So, if you wouldn't mind not totally wrecking Spike's ship..."

Kamina jumped down. "You came through for me, eh? I like it! I'm ready to get out of here!"

Spike put a hand up. "Just a minute. If you wouldn't mind, what exactly happened while you were on this mission? And, more importantly, what did you do when they offered you the reward money?"

"The great Kamina has no need of this reward money! I don't even know what the hell a 'woolong' is supposed to be! I came in to arrest some punk, and that's all I did!"

"You didn't take any of it..." Spike was visibly disappointed. "Just like they said."

"And how did you get stuck here?" Konata asked.

"I was too busy kicking ass to keep track of that little Talisman thingy!" Kamina said. Spike was shocked, reevaluating his opinions of Eclipse's criteria for employment. "I don't even know when I dropped it, but it was gone when I tried to go back, and I've been stuck in the middle of nowhere ever since! Speaking of which, everyone just shut up! I want to get out of here already!"

"Fine by me," Spike said. "See you, then."

Konata got out her own Talisman - making a mental note to always keep track of it, she would never let this happen to her, not when she actually had a home world she was supposed to be in every day. Using the coordinates Jason had given her, she and Kamina departed.

* * *

They arrived in a large room full of people - people who ignored their sudden appearance out of nowhere. That would be considered normal here, wouldn't it? The Eclipse headquarters was in three-dimensional live action. By this point Konata wasn't used to her old appearance, black hair and... whatever her eyes used to be. She couldn't even remember.

"Alright!" Kamina said. "I appreciate your help. Let's work together again sometime."

Konata was looking around. This structure was made out of what looked like polished black marble. It was roughly the size of her school's gymnasium, including the height of the arched ceiling. It was lit by some slots running along the walls emanating soft, sky blue light - whether it was by magic or technology, Konata couldn't tell. A large emblem of a solar eclipse was glowing on one wall.

"Yeah, that sounds - " Turning around, she noticed that Kamina had vanished into the crowd already. "Good," she finished.

The crowd of people was even more interesting. All different styles of clothing were present. Some were historical, like armor or wizard's robes, while others were futuristic. A few were even modern-day casual clothes, like what Konata was wearing herself. Not many people she recognized, but she supposed that a vast majority of universes weren't animes. Just the ones she was interested in visiting. And all the different languages being spoken... It was hard to focus in here. And she had something she was looking for.

She often thought of this whole setup like an MMO... Here was the hub location, where you could meet up with a party to take on a particularly difficult mission. And if her reasoning was correct, there would be a place to find specific interest groups - guilds, as she thought of them - to join.

Working her way through the crowd, she reached a door into a hallway, lit by the same blue glow. On the wall was a list of floors, lit up green. They were directly on the wall, but when Konata reached out to touch them she realized it was actually a scrolling list, like a computer screen that was directly part of the wall itself. There was a mundane-sounding _Executive Offices_ floor, even though she knew it was anything but mundane. There were also the more unusual floors like _Universal Reconnaissance_... _Portal Development_... Maybe it would be interesting to look at the _Mecha Storage Dock_, but there wasn't time for that. She looked through the list until she found _Surveillance of Reality Warping Beings_. That would be the one.

She remembered what Jason had told her: "Don't take more time than you have to. They don't want anyone interrupting their work." But this was what she wanted to do - she knew that she could find out something about this department. All she wanted to know was how to be considered for the position.

The directory list only said that the department was on the nineteenth floor. What floor was she on? And how did she get there? She reached out to touch the words again, and as she did the other lines vanished, leaving only Floor 19 displayed for a second before it too faded away. And then what had seemed like a solid, seamless wall of stone opened up revealing a small, about five-foot square room. An elevator, maybe?

The interior matched the rest of the complex - black marble, blue lights set back into the surface. The number 19 was lit up on the wall, similar to the directory list, glowing deep purple. The wall closed behind her as she stepped inside, just like the doors of a regular elevator, although it left the walls flat and seamless. Rather than moving up, as she had expected, she was surprised to feel it start to move downwards, smoothly and soundlessly. So what floor had she started on? This place didn't make much sense. Konata leaned against the back wall as she waited for it to stop.

It made even less sense after five minutes of continuous descent. No building could possibly be - No, wait. Anything was possible, wasn't it? It was entirely possible for Eclipse to build a thousand, no, a _million_ story headquarters if they wanted.

This place was making even the Cowboy Bebop universe, with its holographic television screens and publicly-available space travel, look primitive. And it was quickly moving up in Konata's mental list of "places nobody would ever believe I've visited."

Suddenly the motion stopped, and the 19 on the wall pulsed brighter for a second before fading away and being replaced with a line of text.

_Limited Access Area. Please State Name._

_Jason had mentioned that observing reality warpers was a highly specialized and secretive division. These precautions made sense. Around people who were, in effect, gods in human form, you couldn't be too careful. Especially those who didn't know it._

She looked around, for some sort of keyboard or input device. There was nothing, the walls were bare. "Izumi Konata?" she said aloud, hoping for the best. But as soon as the words "limited access" had appeared she just knew she wouldn't get very far.

The words switched to red. _Access Forbidden. Please Select Other Floor._ The list of floors appeared again, as they had done in the first hallway, but she didn't have any interest in trying to visit the others.

They weren't even going to let her in to visit, to learn anything possible about how to start working in a new division of the organization. It had been worth a shot, at least. She was about to go back home when her phone rang.

She took it out and answered it. "Hello?"

"Izumi, you had better be on your way here right now!" On the other end of the line, Kuroi sounded furious.

"Huh?" Konata took a moment to register why her teacher was calling her.

"You know what I mean! Get your butt to school this instant!"

What time _was_ it back home? Konata had completely lost track, but apparently school had already begun for the day. "Yeah, I'll be right over! By the way, thanks for reminding me!"

"Don't get smart with me! And I don't want another one of your ridiculous excuses this time, either!" Kuroi hung up.

Ridiculous excuses? Konata examined her surroundings. She had no intention of telling Kuroi where she had been this morning, so she was going to have to make something more normal up. Telling the truth would be the more ridiculous option in this case. But first, to get home and change into her uniform. Another exciting day of ordinary high school life awaited...


	9. Summertime Clothes

Final exams were similar to what Konata imagined Hell to be like. Not that they were hard - one sleepless night of cramming was enough to get by. It always had been, and always would. The part she didn't like was just how boring it all was. Sitting at a desk, staring at the questions until the printing all blurred together, repeat for an entire week. Hell was probably like taking exams for eternity, in a classroom without a window to let in even the faintest glimmer of hope. She was forever grateful for that window in her classroom.

Today was the last day of school before summer break, and exam results were finally posted. She looked over the list for everyone's names.

Jason had managed a slightly above-average score. She knew that he was smart, but the school system didn't seem to agree with him too well. Miyuki, as usual, had the highest grades in the school. Tsukasa was a few points lower than Kagami, both still earned fairly high marks. And Konata's scores...

"Wha - ?! How?" Kagami couldn't believe it. "How do you always manage to do so well on these?"

Konata's grades were about on par with Kagami's. Comparing the time taken to study... Kagami spent about an hour or two each night for a few weeks, while Konata crammed it all in for just four straight hours the night before.

"That's just how I am," Konata said with a grin. "I'd never want it to change."

"You only studied for one night! How is it even possible?"

"Well, I did a basic overview of each subject. And then on test day just about all the questions are over the exact material I looked at the night before. It's almost like they plan it out that way," Konata said thoughtfully. "And after all, it's always worked out like this. I see no reason why it would ever change."

"That's not even possible," Kagami said. Not only was it not possible, it just wasn't _fair_ that someone could succeed with so little effort...

"Nothing's impossible, Kagamin. You're just too much of a realist."

There were so many flaws in that logic, Kagami just couldn't point them out... Instead she changed the subject. "Anyway, what do you say we go somewhere after school today and start off our break right away?"

"Sounds good. We should get everyone together."

* * *

Chapter 9

Restless is Causeless

* * *

As they left the school, there was the familiar chime of a new text message received. Konata took out her phone. It was probably just spam or something, but might as well check it anyway.

_Warning - This message is to inform _IZUMI KONATA_ that he/she has committed a Class II offense. Further infractions against the Eclipse Organization may result in a permanent termination of membership and loss of all related privileges. Have a nice day._

She read it several times over, not believing - not comprehending - what it said. What had she done wrong that they would consider cutting her off from the organization?

"What is it, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa looked over at the screen.

"Umm, n-nothing..." Konata stammered.

"Whoa, the letters are all jumbled up, is that... a virus or something?"

Of course. Tsukasa wouldn't even be able to read it, the language it was typed in looked like it didn't even exist on Earth. Thank God for small favors.

"I don't know. Maybe. It's probably just a processing error or something," Konata said, trying to shrug it off. But few things could impact you like a potential ban warning. It felt like she had been hit by a truck.

It seemed like just a form letter, it was always possible that someone had hit a wrong key somewhere and sent it out accidentally. But it did have her name in it - someone would have had to enter that, wouldn't they? But she hadn't done anything...

"Hey, let me see that," Jason said. She handed her phone to him. Maybe he knew what it was, he had more experience than she did, after all. After looking it over a few times, he finally said, "That's weird. You don't know what it's about, Konata?"

"No, of course not." He gave her a look, like he was telling her they'd discuss it later. Maybe he could clarify for her. Why did they have to make these warnings so vague, anyway?

What could she have done to get that message? It had her name in it, so it couldn't be a mistake... The one thing Konata had always been told was to never reveal the existence of the organization to any outsiders. But... She looked at her friends. They all still thought she was as normal as always... which was to say, not very normal at all, but they didn't suspect anything truly unnatural.

They stopped at a fast food place in the city. Konata thought she could just push it out of her mind for a while, forget about it and just enjoy being with her friends for now. It was summer vacation, she should relax.

After ordering their food, they took a table near the window and watched the people and cars pass them by. The fries, although somewhat soggy, were delicious.

"So what's everyone planning to do over the summer?" Jason asked.

"Well, we don't have much planned..." Tsukasa said. "I think I'll mostly just stay home and relax."

"Yeah, that sounds just like you. You'll be waking up at three in the afternoon or so, won't you?" Kagami said.

Tsukasa giggled. "Yeah..."

"My family is planning to take a trip overseas this summer. I'm looking forward to it," Miyuki said.

Everyone stared at her. "You mean... again?" Kagami said in disbelief. "Geez, I've never even left the country once in my life." She turned to Konata. "Hey, do you have any plans this summer?"

Konata had been staring out the window in silence, thinking about that text message. Turning back to everyone, she replied, "Huh? Oh... You know. The usual. I'll be playing all the games that I haven't gotten around to yet. And of course I'll come over to your house right before we go back so that I can get that homework done."

"Of course," Kagami said. "How foolish of me to think that you'd be doing anything else."

"Make sure you work hard on it, Kagamin! I'm counting on you!" Konata smiled. Kagami glared at her, but didn't say anything else.

Tsukasa spoke up. "Jason, are you doing anything this summer? I would think you'd have something planned, since you're in a different country and everything..."

Jason thought for a moment. "Well, I had considered taking a trip to Kyoto for a few days. It'd be a good chance to see some more of the country. I've only been in the Tokyo area, after all."

"That does sound interesting," Miyuki said. "Are you taking the train there?"

"That's what I thought I'd do," Jason replied. "That seems to be the quickest way."

Konata looked at him. "I didn't know you were planning to go anywhere! I've always wanted to visit Kyoto."

"I guess you could come if you want," Jason said. "I only have enough to pay for myself, so you'd have to come up with train and hotel money on your own."

Konata was ecstatic. "Awesome!"

"Hey, you're just going to get up and leave? Do you have permission to do that?" Kagami asked, her eyes wide in shock. "I mean, going off with a boy and everything..."

"What?" Jason said.

"Are you saying...? No, no, it's nothing like that," Konata said, waving her hand dismissively. "I just want to get out of town for a while, that's all. You could come too, if you want."

"No, that's fine. I think I'll just stay home and relax this summer," Kagami said. "Enjoy your vacation."

* * *

"Hey, Dad. You mind if I go over to Kyoto for a couple days?" Konata asked.

Sojiro looked over at her. "That's a surprise. I guess it would be okay. You're old enough to take care of yourself..." He wasn't entirely convinced of that fact. He still worried about his daughter. After all, with his wife gone, Konata was all he had left. Still, maybe it would be good to be more lenient.

"Thanks, Dad." She turned back to the game she was playing.

"You just be careful, okay?" He thought of something else. "Is anyone else going with you?"

"Um, no. I'll just be on my own. That's okay, right?" she asked.

"Hmm, maybe I should call Yui and see if she can take you," Sojiro mused.

"No, it's fine. Really. I'm sure she's busy, anyway," Konata said. "It's only for two days. I'll be fine on my own."

"I... I guess you're right. There are kids your age living on their own, aren't there?" He could tell she really wanted to go on this trip. It was a big city. He worried about her safety, being out there, but he also had trouble refusing his daughter anything she wanted. "And that's right, you were taking martial arts classes for a while. You can defend yourself, can't you?"

"Do you really think anyone's just going to attack me? Really, Dad, you need to lighten up a bit." She paused, then added, "You're probably just worried I'll run into somebody like you, is that it?"

"Something like that," he agreed.

"You're a bit too quick to admit it. Don't get arrested while I'm out, okay?" And she was entirely serious about that.

* * *

A few days later, Konata and Jason were on the train as it sped off towards Kyoto. The view out the windows was almost just a blur.

"So is there any special reason you wanted to go to Kyoto?" Konata asked.

"You mean like with business or something?" Jason looked over at her. "Does there need to be? I just wanted to see some more of your world, that's all. I hope I'm not letting you down or anything."

"No, that's alright. I've always wanted to visit Kyoto anyway. It is where our animation studio is, after all." She now thought of Kyoto Animation as "her" animation studio, even if the one in this world didn't actually produce Lucky Star. They did, however, produce Haruhi Suzumiya, which was enough reason on its own to go and stare at the building.

"But speaking of work, I've been wanting to hear more about that message you got a few days ago. I'm sure you know the one."

"Yeah..." Konata said. She was torn between wanting to know what it was about and the urge to just forget all about it. "But I really don't know what that was about. I didn't do anything. Don't you trust me?"

"Konata, that was a Class II offense. They don't hand those out for just anything. Class I would be outright betrayal of the organization, and if you ever get one of those, you're out, just like that. You're really sure you didn't do anything?"

"I'm sure."

"Let's think, you took a few missions without me before exams. Did you do anything while you were working on those?"

"I don't think so." Konata turned back towards the window for a moment, reviewing everything that had gone on during those missions. They were some basic combat operations, taking out some assigned targets, the usual deal. Really, there was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, she thought she had done a pretty good job. "I swear, I didn't do anything wrong!"

"What about that mission you took with Spike. When you took Kamina back to headquarters? I remember that one, you were late to class that day. Anything happen then?"

Konata continued to stare out the window. She hadn't wanted that to come up. He had told her not to take any side trips on that visit. She had completely disregarded that order.

She sighed. "Well, I did try to..."

"What did you do?" He sounded even more serious than before.

She didn't like where this was going. In her mind, Konata could still see the number lit up on the wall of the elevator, bright purple against the black. "I tried to go to floor 19 of the headquarters. It was - "

"Surveillance of Reality Warping Beings," he said.

"That's the one." How had he recognized it just from the number? He couldn't have all of those thousands of floors memorized, could he?

"What the hell were you thinking? That's one of the highest security areas in the entire base! Of course that's what this is about." He looked down, putting his hand to his forehead.

"Well, they didn't let me in anyway! I thought it would be fine, you know? I didn't even see the inside. The doors never opened." Konata was trying to stay calm, but it only seemed to be getting worse.

Still holding his head, he turned to her. "Still, they see that as an attempt to breach security. I can't believe you would do something like that..." Jason kept his voice down, aware of the other passengers.

Konata's head was tilted back in exhaustion, and she was staring at the ceiling. "That's... that's the division that does observation of Haruhi, isn't it? I just wanted to find out what I had to do to get involved with that."

"So that's what it was about... You had mentioned that before, hadn't you... If they want you in that division, they'll tell you," Jason told her. "Just like they chose you to join the organization in the first place. But don't get your hopes up. Like I said, that's just about the most exclusive branch of the entire group."

"I consider that my ultimate goal. Being a part of the actual world is the highest status a fan can achieve, after all. And most of them don't even know it's possible."

"Your ultimate goal, huh?" Jason was silent for a moment, thinking about something. "I wish I could help you with that. I don't have the authority."

They were both silent again. A voice announced that the train would soon arrive in Kyoto.

"Already? Great," Jason said, looking up. "Well, just put everything about work out of your head for these two days. Let's just enjoy the trip, alright?"

"Yeah," Konata agreed. "So what other things did we want to do?"

"Well, I'm sure that in addition to the Kyoto Animation building, you're also going to want to go to the Kyoto International Manga Museum, right?"

"Yeah! I almost forgot about that." He knew her too well, didn't he?

"And I'd like to see some of the shrines and historical sites. Maybe find some good restaurants... First we should find a hotel for the night. Separate rooms, of course, I realize that your dad probably still hates me." Jason smiled.

"He doesn't exactly hate you, he just would never trust you alone with me. He'd probably shoot you, actually. But he doesn't even know that I came here with you, so that's all fine."

"You didn't tell him?"

Konata was grinning in that way she had. "Well, it's just like all the other little trips we take, isn't it? But not even nearly as dangerous."

As the train pulled into the Kyoto station, they picked up their luggage and joined the swarming mob of tourists, trying to push their way through. The weather was great. Konata could already tell that this had been a great idea. It was less of a vacation, actually more of a pilgrimage... Other than Akihabara, this must be the greatest place on Earth anyone could live.

* * *

It was now just a week until they had to go back to school. What had started out as a pleasant, warm summer had quickly turned almost unbearably hot. A few days Konata hadn't even been able to get up and do anything, she had just laid around doing nothing. Which was a traditional summer pastime in itself.

Just like she had promised, Konata dropped by the Hiiragi residence during the last few days of the break. She had brought her homework - completely forgotten and untouched until she had picked it up that morning. Kagami answered the door when she arrived.

"Welcome!" she said. "So how was the trip?"

"It was amazing. Check this out," Konata said. She showed Kagami a picture on her phone of her and Jason standing in front of some office building.

"Huh? What's that...?" Kagami tried to see what the name on the sign was.

"You don't recognize the Kyoto Animation headquarters? It's the Holy Land for my people!"

"Oh, that's what it is?" Kagami didn't sound as impressed as Konata had hoped. "Interesting."

"We should really go there again sometime. I guess you can't really comprehend how awesome it is just from the picture. There's just something in the air that I can't describe." Konata had a faraway expression on her face. Snapping out of it, she remembered what she had come for. "So you got that homework done, I'm guessing?"

"Of course." Kagami let out an exasperated sigh. "At least Tsukasa tried to get it done on her own. I really can't imagine what you plan to do with your life. Are you planning to get into college this way, too?"

"Sure, why not?" Konata seemed unconcerned.

"I don't get you..."


	10. All Star

Kuroi was looking very enthusiastic as she entered the classroom that day. Quite different from her usual state - either bitterly annoyed for some reason, or rushing in at the last minute, declaring herself "not late" to a class of blank stares.

"Settle down everyone! In case you've forgotten, we've got the athletic festival coming up soon!" she said. The announcement was met with the usual blank stares.

"Athletic festival...?" Jason said.

Konata looked up. "It's time for that already...?"

Kuroi seemed disappointed in the lack of enthusiasm. "If you keep on acting like that, we'll never win this thing! We need to get fired up!" The classroom was still silent, half the eyes staring back at her with the rest looking off into unspecified points in the room. She turned around and began listing off the events on the board - obstacle course, relay races, and so on. "Come on, isn't anyone going to volunteer?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do..." Tsukasa muttered. "I hope this doesn't go as badly as last year did."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Konata said. She had already seen this episode, though, and if things went as they had in the show then this would be in fact worse than last year. "Just put me down for 100 meter dash, I guess."

It seemed it was time for another part of her life that Konata had already watched in anime format. She couldn't believe that most organization members didn't want to experience the work they were a part of - Konata looked forward to these occasions, wanting to see what would be different. Of course, having an undercover interdimensional agent present always changed things slightly, but that wasn't the point.

If she worked with Tsukasa during training, would she be able to do any better than she had in the anime? Konata almost winced remembering how that had gone. And... well, maybe she'd just let Kagami do her thing on the bread eating race. That had actually been really funny. And she was still debating whether or not to talk Miyuki out of the obstacle course. Both that and the relay race would end in spectacular fanservice, so maybe it didn't matter.

As for Konata herself... This was just going to be more of what went on every day in gym class. Her athletic abilities had always been good, so she tried to keep them at that level instead of being superhuman as she was now. In order to compete against her classmates and still look normal, that would mean nothing more than minimal effort. Not that sports had ever been that much fun, anyway.

* * *

Chapter 10

Break the Mold

* * *

"So the athletic festival is already coming up..." Konata said. It was lunch, everyone was in their usual spots around the table. "I completely forgot about it."

Jason spoke up. "Sorry, I still don't quite get it. What's this all about?"

"Oh, it's just some athletic events. It's a school-wide competition. It'll be on Sunday, but the week before we'll have practice," Konata replied.

"You have nothing to worry about, Jason," Kagami said. "You're pretty good with this kind of stuff. I heard about your kendo tournament, by the way. Great job."

"Thanks," he said. Calling it a "great job" was in fact a bit of an understatement - he had actually placed high enough in regionals that he had been chosen to go on to the national level. It wasn't typical for an exchange student to do so well, but either way the Ryoo team had been thrilled to receive any kind of recognition.

And still, Konata knew that he had been holding back in the tournament matches. She herself could only put forth minimal effort in gym class, since anything more would seem unnaturally skillful. Really, when you're capable of single-handedly taking on twenty ninjas in a fight to the death, high school gym class is no problem.

"If we're not in our regular classes for a whole week, I'm missing out on some valuable time," Konata said in a regretful tone. "For sleep, obviously."

"That's what you're worried about?" Kagami said. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do, you know, at night, like a normal person?"

"No, I'm way too busy then," Konata said.

"'Busy.' So that's what you're calling it now?"

"I still don't know what event I should try to do..." Tsukasa said, with a visible look of worry on her face.

"I don't know," Konata said. "You could try to do the hurdles. Just make sure you don't mess up your timing and run straight into every single one."

Tsukasa was shocked. "You actually think I'd do something like that?"

Konata didn't think that would happen. She _knew_ that was what would happen. "Hey, you've got a week to practice and make sure you don't mess up on the real thing. I'll help you out on it, if you want."

"She's got a point," Jason said, holding some of his curry in his chopsticks and holding them in the air, gesturing vaguely. "We've all got a week to train for it, so we might as well take advantage of it."

"Excellent point, Ellis-san," Miyuki said. "Speaking of which, what event will you be participating in?"

"I thought I'd wait a while and see. I'm good with just about any of them, so I'll take whatever's left."

"You and Kona-chan are both so good at sports. You really don't have anything to worry about," Tsukasa said.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about except setting new world records..." Konata said, hoping it sounded sarcastic but actually in complete honesty. She would have to make sure not to run faster than about nine and a half kilometers per hour, not to jump any higher than about half a meter off the ground. Not to mention resist the urge to backflip when she jumped. Those were about the averages for normal, non-magically enhanced human ability. The kind of things she was able to do... You really did only see this kind of thing in anime and games, but you never thought about it as being weird when you saw it there.

"I would think you would be very enthusiastic about the competition, Izumi-san," Miyuki said. "I'm very impressed by your physical ability."

"Nah, it's all too much of a hassle, in my opinion. But my dad loves to watch all the events. Only when the girls are competing, though. Of course."

As usual, Konata's bluntness left the conversation hanging in silence for several moments.

* * *

"I remember doing something like this in elementary school," Jason said, standing in the crowd on that Sunday. "We'd do sports, obstacle courses, games. But this... This looks like serious business."

"Sensei sure seems to think so," Konata agreed. "That was some speech she gave back there, wasn't it?"

The entire student body was present, along with faculty, family members, and those people who just kind of showed up (some of them with cameras, Konata noted, proving her dad wasn't entirely out of the ordinary). The next event coming up was the bread eating race. And what an event it was.

"So the bread's attached to the frame with clips, right?" Konata said. "How strong do you suppose those are?"

"Um... I don't know," Tsukasa said.

"Cause it sure would be embarrassing if you tried to grab the bread and you ended up bringing down the entire setup," Konata said, chuckling at the thought. "Don't you think so?"

"I'm sure Kagami-san will be quite alright," Miyuki said. "Besides, I'm sure that the chances of that happening are very slim."

The pistol fired off, starting the race. The other students failed to catch the buns, but as Kagami sped towards them and leapt into the air...

There was a creak as the frame slowly collapsed, pulled down by the bun that Kagami had caught but failed to release from the clip. The crowd gasped as it hit the ground.

"Huh...?" Tsukasa said. "It actually...?"

"I should probably just keep these thoughts to myself, shouldn't I?" Konata said with a grin.

"That was quite a strange coincidence..." Miyuki said.

* * *

"Hey, you're doing the hundred meter dash, right?" Kagami asked. "It's up next."

"Yeah, I better get ready for that." Konata left to get into place on the track.

This was considered the "long" dash, but for Konata it was no big deal. If she put forth her usual amount of effort, she could clear this kind of distance in about five seconds, even when fully armed. Of course, that kind of thing was considered impossible in this universe.

"On your marks... Get set..." The pistol was fired.

Konata started off at what she considered a brisk jog, listening to the rhythm of footsteps from the girl in second place and trying to keep her about two or three meters behind her. She tried to keep a look on her face that would suggest she was straining herself to run as fast as possible, but that just wasn't the case.

As she broke the tape at the finish line, there was a loud cheer from the spectators. She slowed to a halt, and looked over as the girl in second place came up next to her about ten seconds later, panting as she stood with her hands on her knees. Maybe Konata had misjudged her own speed a bit.

"Hey, good race," Konata said.

"Yeah..." the other girl responded. "How... do you... do that? I couldn't... keep up!"

"Practice," Konata said, and left to watch the next event.

As she rejoined her group in the crowd of spectators, everyone congratulated her.

"Wow, you're not even out of breath, Kona-chan! That was amazing!" Tsukasa said. "How do you run so fast?"

"It's really no big deal. Just imagine yourself winning. It's always worked that way." Or at least it had, before things had changed earlier this year.

"Good luck, Tsukasa. Your event's up next," Jason said.

"Wh-what? I didn't even realize..." Tsukasa looked up frantically. "Where am I supposed to be?"

"Gotta stay alert. Remember how I showed you last week?" Konata said.

"Yeah..." Tsukasa seemed nervous.

"You'll do fine," Kagami said. "Just give it your best shot."

* * *

Konata watched Tsukasa, standing at the starting place with a look of determination on her face. Maybe this _would_ turn out differently than it had in the anime. It was kind of like an experiment, to see just how much she would be able to change things. Tsukasa had done well in the practice runs, here was the real deal.

As the race began, Konata braced herself for what she was sure was about to happen. Surprisingly, there was no "thud" or crowd reaction as Tsukasa sped towards the first hurdle. In fact, she jumped over it cleanly.

"Whoa, she got one!" Konata said. Was it possible Tsukasa could actually do this...?

"You sound surprised," Kagami said. "But, actually..." She gave a slight smile. "I guess I wasn't expecting her to make it, either..."

_Thud. _A squeal of pain, the hurdle clattering as it fell and hit the track.

"Well, she got _one_, anyway," Konata said. So it turns out there were some things just so deeply ingrained in a person's nature they could never be changed... "On the bright side, running straight into hurdles in front of the entire school adds to her moe points. Her ranking's going up."

_Thud._

"Way up..." she added.

_Thud._

"I didn't even expect her to hit all of them..." Kagami said.

"Hmm, isn't this depressing..." Jason said.

* * *

Both Miyuki and Jason were participating in the next event, a three-part relay race. Jason would go second, and hand the baton off to Miyuki to finish the race. But first, they had to wait for the other member of the team to get done with his part.

Jason stood in place, waiting for the race to start. He glanced over at Miyuki, standing partway down the track. And then he looked over at Yuji, a skinny boy in their class, who never seemed to do very well in these sorts of things...

The race started, and Jason watched as Yuji was left behind by one other boy and two girls.

"Come on, Kihara," Jason said under his breath. "You can do this..." But he knew that Yuji really couldn't. Jason's heart was pounding, anticipating the moment he would have to get into action... He was surprised at how much the excitement was getting to him, now that he was participating in his own event.

One of the girls reached her teammate first, who grabbed the baton and took off. Shortly after was the boy and the other girl. Yuji came last, holding out the baton weakly. Jason grabbed it and started running, already behind.

Meanwhile, Konata, Kagami, and Tsukasa were watching anxiously.

"You think he'll be able to catch up?" Tsukasa asked.

"It's not looking very good..." Kagami said.

"Who knows, let's see how he does," Konata said.

Jason was picking up speed, almost catching up to the third place runner. Then passing him. Kuroi's team cheered him on - he seemed to be going faster. Now he was passing the second place - now in first place, and still going faster.

Konata stared at him. "Seriously?" Hadn't he been the one reminding her not to go too fast? How it wouldn't look natural?

"I had no idea he could run that fast! Must be an American thing," Kagami said.

"Something like that..." Konata said.

Jason had reached the end of the second third of the race, where he would pass the baton to Miyuki to finish. She stared at him.

"Ellis-san, that was amazing!" she said.

"Never mind that right now, just take it and go!" Jason said. The other runners were still quite a few meters behind, and a little dumbstruck at how he had just passed all of them.

"Oh, right!" She took it and ran.

Konata was watching with excitement now. "Miyuki-san looks pretty good when she's running..."

"That's just... an _unbelievably_ creepy thing to say. You do realize that, right?" Kagami said.

Konata ignored her.

"Hey, she's almost to the finish!" Tsukasa said.

"Yeah! Keep going!" Kagami cheered.

"Wait for it..." Konata said. She watched as Miyuki braced herself, preparing to run into the tape to break it... "Yes!" Konata said. Just like it was supposed to happen - the cameras at the finish line snapped a picture right as Miyuki's breasts came into contact with and broke the tape. That was the kind of shot her dad was probably dreaming of. "Great job, Miyuki-san! Always thinking of your fans..."

"Do you ever think before you say something like that?" Kagami said.

Jason and Miyuki rejoined them a few minutes later.

"Jason-kun, that was... incredible..." Tsukasa said. "I'm so jealous of you and Kona-chan. You're really good at these things."

"Oh, it wasn't anything much, really," he said. "I've just always been fast, I guess."

"You did a wonderful job, Ellis-san. Without you we couldn't have won the race," Miyuki said.

"Hey, you're the one who finished. It wasn't all me."

"And what a spectacular finish it was..." Konata said.

"Why, thank you, Izumi-san." Miyuki apparently had no idea what Konata meant by that. It was probably for the best.

* * *

"Back to regular classes again..." Konata said the next day at lunch. "And back to getting my daily naps. Where would I be without them?"

Kagami sighed. "So Jason, what did you think of your first Japanese Sports Festival?"

"What can I say..." he said. "I wish we had these back at my old school. I personally didn't mind getting a week off of classes. Not a problem at all."

"But what was that, during that relay race? You were going even faster than I was," Konata said, hoping he got the hint.

"Oh, yeah. That," he said, hesitating before he continued, "I guess all the excitement just got to me. I was really trying to push myself. Looks like it paid off."

"Thanks for trying to help me, Kona-chan," Tsukasa said. "I think I just forgot everything we trained on once I was under all that pressure..." She looked down at the table, trying not to remember the trail of fallen hurdles she had left in her wake.

"It's no problem," Konata said, smiling. "We've got it easy, since when girls mess up on something like that it's cute. It's why we have so many fans."

"Yeah. Sure. And where do you suppose all these 'fans' are? We're not exactly what you'd call popular," Kagami said. "Seriously, it's like you can't tell the difference between real life and anime sometimes..."


	11. The Seeker

In terms of otaku, Kagami saw the subculture divided into several groups. There were the total fanatics, who literally did not leave the house like the label suggested. One step down from that extreme were the obsessive people, like Konata, who spent way too much time and money on this lifestyle but very nearly were able to be part of normal society. Then there were the casual fans, people who liked anime and games but didn't devote their lives to it. Kagami and her sister were there.

Here they were now, going to Konata's little convention, surrounded by people in that first group of otaku. The obsessive kind, the kind that were almost frightening to be around. This was probably the only time some of them left the house. It seemed like with each stop the train made, more and more of the passengers getting on were in ridiculous costumes. They ranged from the jaw-droppingly amazing, with great attention to detail, to the much more common, not so impressive, you-gave-it-your-best-shot kind.

"I'm surprised you're not in costume, Konata," Kagami said, turning to look at her friend.

"Well, you know. I do that kind of thing all the time at work. And more importantly, I have a mission to complete here. I can't be distracted." Konata pulled out a map of the convention center. Notes, bullet points, and arrows were scribbled all over it, in four different colors of ink. "Here's the shopping list. And I did you the favor of making color copies for each of you."

She handed them out to each of them - Kagami, Tsukasa, and Jason had all come along, not entirely willingly but more out of a feeling that they were somehow obligated.

Tsukasa stared at it, her eyes blank. "Umm... what does it all mean?"

Konata pointed out some things on the map. "You're going for the blue items, Tsukasa. I recommend you start out over here, and work your way over." She gestured to some locations. "And try not to get lost. There's going to be a ton of people there. It's overwhelming when it's your first time."

Kagami had been here last year, and she could attest to that. Why exactly had she decided to get back into the fray for a second time? That question had been plaguing her mind the entire day.

"Tsukasa, just make sure you're careful. It really is easy to get lost," Kagami said. Turning to Jason, she said, "You too. Have you ever been to something like this before?"

"Can't say I have," he replied. "It shouldn't be too bad, though. So Konata, which ones am I going for?"

"I thought you could go for the red ones. Those are going to be difficult to get to, but I have faith in your abilities. Don't let me down," she said.

"Right."

"Oh, and Kagami - your assignments are in green. You know your way around, right? You've got some experience."

Glancing at the map, it seemed like most of the writing was in orange - Kagami guessed those were the ones Konata was going to find on her own. There were roughly equal amounts of red and green. Those were for her and Jason. And only a few places were in blue. At least she had some consideration for Tsukasa's tendency to get overwhelmed by these sorts of things. The whole plan seemed more like a covert military operation than just a shopping trip for some doujinshi. This girl was serious about her hobbies.

"Yeah, sounds good," Kagami said.

The train stopped again. Someone in a weird-looking Keroro outfit got on, followed by some girls in school uniforms with bright blue and purple wigs. The uniforms were so normal that Kagami almost wouldn't have known they were cosplayers except for the hair. There was only a handful of almost-normal people just wearing anime t-shirts or normal clothes.

In a way, with all these costumes around, it was like all the anime and game characters were gathering in one spot. It was an interesting idea - _Oh god,_ Kagami thought. _I'm starting to think like them._

* * *

Chapter 11

Don't Know How Or Why

* * *

Two uncomfortable hours later, Kagami was nearly finished with Konata's list.

There were a number of uncomfortable things about it. Handing over so much money for doujinshi, for one thing. It was strange spending so much of someone else's money, but she knew that Konata had entrusted her with it fully expecting to see it replaced with a sizable stack of books. She only ever saved her money for times like this, when she would blow it all at once.

Another part of it that was awkward - the things that she was buying with this money. Fans publish their own stories about their favorite characters, and at least three-fourths of it seemed to be weird sex fantasies. And naturally, Konata, being a proud part of the subculture, was also into this stuff. Not that Kagami hadn't taken a look herself, just once, but - that was unlikely to ever happen again.

_Good luck out there, Tsukasa,_ Kagami thought. _You'll need it._

"Hey!" It was an unfamiliar voice, followed by a hand on Kagami's shoulder. She jumped a little in shock.

Turning around, she saw a girl with short white hair wearing a school uniform - a tan sweater vest. Probably not a real school uniform, but a cosplay getup. The white hair seemed to be for real, though. It wasn't often you saw an albino, and come to think of it...

"I know you! Aren't you - " the girl started.

"Umm, look, I've never seen you in my life. You probably have me mistaken for someone else," Kagami said.

"I don't think so. Aren't you Konata's friend? Kagami, right?"

Kagami was surprised. "Huh? How do you know..." She stopped. This girl somehow knew Konata, probably had the same strange interests as her... Konata often praised Kagami as the very embodiment of the "tsundere" archetype. But Konata wouldn't go as low as to post pictures of her on the internet, on one of those weird fetish imageboards...

No, that was _exactly_ the kind of thing Konata would do.

"So you're here with her, right?" the white-haired girl asked. "Konata, I mean."

"Who _are_ you?" Kagami asked.

Ignoring her, the girl continued. "You know where she is?"

"Yeah, she was going to the East Hall, I think. But who are you?"

"East Hall?" The girl frowned. "But that's all the way over... Nevermind. I'll make it. Thanks!"

Just like that, she was gone, disappeared into the gigantic crowd. Such a lack of manners, like she didn't even know how to function in a normal human society. Maybe she was one of those people who didn't leave the house much. God knew there were a lot of them here today.

"What the hell..." Kagami muttered. She made a mental note to do an internet search for her name. It probably wouldn't be pretty, but she had to get some answers. While she was at it... Might as well look up Tsukasa and Miyuki, too. "Seriously, Konata, do you have any conscience at all?"

* * *

Tsukasa still had all of the money Konata had given her. She had looked over the list of vendors and books she was supposed to be looking for - in fact, she almost had it memorized at this point. Why couldn't she find any of them? It was starting to get really scary in here, alone, lost.

Whenever she managed to work her way through the thick mass of bodies up to a table, it would turn out to be the wrong one, yet again. This convention center was so big... How did anyone know where they were going?

"Tsukasa?" She turned around, recognizing the voice.

"Oh, hey, Jason! What are you doing here...?" Tsukasa said. "I thought you were supposed to be in the other part of this place..."

Jason was weighed down with plenty of dojinshi and merchandise. "No, this is where I was supposed to be... I already finished my list, actually." Tsukasa's mouth dropped open in shock. "Weren't you supposed to be over on the other side of the center?" he asked.

"You mean..." She suddenly realized why she hadn't found any of her items. "I can't believe I got so lost in here... How did you find your way around so easily?"

"I'm used to these kind of situations... Actually, this isn't as bad as some of the places I've been. Come on, let's see if we can get over there in time. I hope they're not sold out."

"Thanks..." Tsukasa said, looking down.

* * *

"Hey! Konata!"

Konata momentarily snapped out of her state of hyper focus at the sound of her name. No, she didn't recognize the voice... Actually, maybe it was familiar. But it certainly wasn't anyone she had come here with, or even saw on a regular basis. Where did she know it from?

She turned around to see an albino girl, wearing a school uniform. The girl had a wide grin on her face.

"Finally! I was beginning to think I'd never find you in here. So many people..." The new girl looked around.

"Yeah, isn't it great? This is the ultimate form of my lifestyle," Konata said. "But first... I don't think I've met you before. Who are you, exactly?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Ayanami Rei. Great to meet you!" She grinned.

Konata started working through this situation in her mind. Did this have something to do with Eclipse? She had never had anyone visit this world before... This girl definitely looked like Rei, now that she thought about it. Neon Genesis Evangelion was such a classic anime she was surprised she hadn't noticed that at first. But there was something off about her.

"So that's who you're cosplaying as... Great job, by the way. But, I mean, there's no way you could actually be Rei," Konata said. "You don't act anything like her. So what's your real name?"

Rei glared at her. "How do you know what I'm supposed to act like? Shouldn't I know what my own name is?"

"Yeah, but... I always thought you'd be... less..." Konata searched for the right word. "Energetic. You have emotions and everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rei was confused. "Why wouldn't I...?"

"Well..." How exactly _did_ you go about explaining to someone what their personality is supposed to be like? After some consideration, Konata realized... you just didn't. "Never mind, actually."

Konata started over to the next table. "I've still got plenty of things I'm trying to buy here. Just follow me for a while." Rei did as she was told, looking with some interest at all the piles of manga for sale. "So why did you come here?"

"I just started this whole thing with Eclipse... They're supporting NERV. It's been really great so far, we're making so much progress with their help. But just a few days ago they gave me a special request. They told me you could help me do it."

That confirmed it - Rei was in the organization. And she was with NERV, just like she was supposed to be, according to what Konata knew about that world, but... why the difference in personality? Namely, the fact that she _had_ one? But right now, all she could ask about was that special request. Those were rare, and always important to complete.

"That's fine. What am I supposed to help you with?" Konata asked.

"It's kind of a long story... Looks like you're busy here. You don't need to stop, I'll just keep following you for a while. You're really spending a lot of money here."

"It's a fan's responsibility to help out the self-publishing industry," Konata explained. "I've been coming here for years."

Konata moved on to the next table. It was interesting, meeting someone like Rei here. Obviously everyone would think she was cosplaying, and anything they said about the assignment would just blend into the background conversations. She picked up a dojinshi from an artist she didn't recognize and looked through it idly. "Anyway, what were you going to tell me? I'm interested in hearing this," she said, barely looking up. "Tell it from the beginning."

"Okay..." Rei thought for a moment. "Well, I figure the whole thing started when..."

* * *

Tsukasa struggled to keep up with Jason, working against the current as they advanced through the convention center. She wasn't capable of fighting against a crowd like this - that was probably how she had ended up so lost in the first place.

"It's almost like you've been to these things as long as Kona-chan has... You're really good at it. I didn't know it would be so hard..." Tsukasa said.

"Actually, I didn't have much of an interest in anime or manga before I met Konata..." Jason said. "I guess she converted me. True, I knew a little bit about it before, I guess, but she really takes it to a whole new level."

Tsukasa laughed nervously. "Yeah... Did you know they had so much stuff people write themselves? I had no idea."

"It's pretty crazy, alright. All the writers seem to have their own interpretations of the characters and settings. It gives you some new perspectives, all the different ways things could happen between the same characters... I'm not sure I would spend so much money on it, though. By the way, how much did she give you to spend?"

Tsukasa looked at the folded bills, counting them. "There's about... 7500 yen here..."

"So that's, what? Almost 80 dollars, give or take a few? My God..." Jason shook his head in disbelief. "She's really going to spend that much? And that's only _your_ part of it, not even counting what I spent."

They stopped to look at a directory map. Comparing it to their own maps, they figured they were about halfway across. And about an hour left before they were supposed to meet back up.

"Let's hurry up," Jason said.

"Yeah." Tsukasa followed after him. She didn't want to get left behind, or pushed away by the crowd.

* * *

Once Rei had finished her story, Konata was silent for a moment, trying to process everything.

"That's..." Konata tried to think of what to say. What would even be _appropriate_ to describe it. "That's just about the most irresponsible thing I've ever heard! I can't believe they even trust you to pilot one of those."

"Yeah, I know I shouldn't have done that..." Rei was trying unsuccessfully to make light of her huge, glaring mistake that had put Unit 00 out of operation for at least a month, more likely two. "But there's an Angel coming in less than a week and I need to be able to fight it!"

"What do you suggest we do, then?" Konata asked. "And why'd they ask me to help, anyway?"

"I'm just supposed to have a more experienced member help me out. They said the operation was going to be risky. We have to steal an EVA from another universe."

Konata was absolutely dumbfounded. Stealing one of the most famous giant mecha in the history of anime... "You know what? Never mind what I said before, _that's_ the most irresponsible thing I've ever heard. Let me guess, you came up with that on your own?"

"It's really what they told me to do! You have to help me! If you don't... Do you realize what an Angel is capable of if nobody stops it?"

"Actually, I do. But the whole plan... Not that I have any firsthand experience with giant robots... But you can't just slip in and take one without somebody noticing. Besides, NERV has like, what? Three? Four? They'd notice if one of them was gone."

"You're right about that," Rei said. "How do you know so much about it, anyway?"

"Anime. Especially my dad, he loves giant robots," Konata explained.

"There's an anime about me?" Rei asked. "I guess that would explain why everything looks so different back home now."

"Of course! It's pretty famous," Konata said. "But I guess it's not about you, specifically. More likely it's about one of these alternate worlds that's just similar to yours. Like I said, the Rei that I know about is nothing like you. Anway, I want to hear some more about this great plan that they came up with for us. How much do you know?"

"We're just supposed to go in and take it," Rei said. "They said that the NERV headquarters would be similar to the one where I come from, so I'd be able to find my way around. Oh, and nobody's supposed to see us."

"That's exactly the problem," Konata said. "How exactly are we supposed to take a giant robot without anybody noticing?"

"Once we get it, we're out of there, right?"

"Well, there is that... They won't be able to follow us."

"After that I don't really have it figured out." Rei didn't look terribly worried as she admitted this.

Konata sighed. "So how long until we have to pull this off?"

"The Angel's supposed to arrive in a week. We need to have the EVA by then. I'll come back to your world once I'm ready to go. By the way, they said that you were working with someone else... His name was - Jason Ellis? Where is he, anyway?"

"I almost forgot! I sent him on an errand. Picking up some other dojinshi. I can't go through the entire festival by myself, after all. I should probably tell him about this once we're done."

* * *

"Tsukasa, isn't that one of the tables you were looking for?"

She looked over to where Jason was pointing, then referred to the map again. "You're right! So... which one am I supposed to buy again?" She looked over the stacks of books, searching for the right title... "This one!" She picked it up. "I'd like to buy this one, please."

"Sure, that'll be 500 yen," the vendor said.

"Wait, it says here you're supposed to get three copies of that one," Jason said. "It's a new release."

"Um... three?" Tsukasa looked again. "Why does Konata want three of this one?"

"Beats me," Jason said. "Just one of her quirks."

"Okay, so your total comes to 1500 yen, now," the vendor replied. Tsukasa handed over the money and put the three copies into her bag.

"We don't have much time left... Where are we supposed to meet once this is all done?" Tsukasa asked.

"Back at the entrance in about..." Jason took out his phone to check the time. "Thirty minutes?" Tsukasa gasped. "We should probably hurry up."

The next fifteen minutes they worked their way through the crowd, getting to each table and wasting no time picking up no less than three of the newly published items, one each of those marked as previously published. Even the expert shoppers, burdened with huge bags full of their haul like Konata probably was by now, seemed to be in awe of their swift and methodical sweep of the entire hall.

As they reached the last table, they searched for the item Konata had listed on the map. Tsukasa spotted it first.

"Wow, only three copies left... We got here just in time," she said.

"This one's an old release, right? She says only to get one of this," Jason said. He took out his money (more accurately, his supply of Konata's money) and paid for it.

With the list complete, they were finally able to relax a bit while heading back to the entrance. Tsukasa looked like she could collapse at any moment.

"Hey, looks like we got everything she asked us for. Nice work," Jason said. "You okay...?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine..." Although she certainly didn't look like it. "Kagami told me it would be really busy like this, but... I had no idea. At least we got everything..."

"Doesn't it seem like Konata has this weird way of getting things to work for her? You ever notice that?"

"Come to think of it... Yeah, she does."

"So I'm not the only one who sees it," Jason said. "I just thought it was interesting. That's all."

* * *

Konata had been waiting at the entrance for a few minutes now. Rei had already left, after setting a time and place to meet once it was time for that mission. If it even worked... But Konata couldn't focus on that now. It was Comiket, one of her favorite days of the year. Her own expedition had yielded successful results. She was in a great mood. Now to see how everyone else had done.

Kagami arrived not too long after Konata had gotten here. She had an exhausted expression, and Konata was glad to see she was carrying a sizable load.

"So how'd it go?" Konata asked.

"Don't worry, I found everything you wanted," Kagami said. Her eyes looked dead. "Now if you don't mind, I'm probably just going to sleep for the rest of the day..."

"At least wait until you get on the train."

"How do you still have so much energy? You're not even human, are you?" Kagami set her bags down on the ground next to them. "Anyway, some girl was looking for you. I told her where you were, did she make it?"

"Huh?"

"She never mentioned her name... She had white hair, she was pretty pale - "

"Rei?" Konata was surprised. "You... talked to her?"

"So that's her name. She never told _me_ that. But she did know who I was, which was really strange. Do you have any idea why that would be?"

Konata did have an idea, in fact. Kagami's purple hair wasn't exactly a common trait, anyone from a different world who was able to see that could easily pick her out in a crowd. Konata herself took advantage of that sometimes. But instead she replied, "No. Maybe she saw you in some of my pictures or something."

"How do you know her, anyway?"

"It's kind of hard to explain..." Konata didn't have what she was going to say next worked out. She looked around idly, then saw that familiar spot of purple in the crowd. "Hey, isn't that Tsukasa? She made it."

Tsukasa and Jason arrived together, and, like Kagami, they were also carrying full shopping bags. This had been a great festival. Tsukasa looked even more tired than Kagami did. Jason didn't look fazed.

"Hey, you're still alive," Kagami said, looking at them. "Good to see you made it. I was worried about you two."

"Everything's fine. Tsukasa got lost, but I helped her out," Jason said. "Was everything good for you guys?"

"Excellent," Konata said. "Now that we're all here, we should just head back and catch the train. Don't you have that thing at your shrine for New Years?" She looked at both of the twins.

"I almost forgot!" Tsukasa said. "I hope I'll still be able to do that."

"Why do they even have this thing on New Year's Eve?" Kagami said. "It's just so hectic, how is anyone able to deal with it?"

"Experience. I hope you'll both be coming back next year," Konata told them. Turning to Jason, she said, "It wouldn't be asking too much of you to come back, would it?"

"Yeah, it's just across an entire ocean. I should be able to manage," Jason said. He managed to keep a straight face.

"Oh, and there's something else I need to talk to you about. That'll have to wait until later."

As they boarded the train to go home, Konata still wondered what they were going to do about this new assignment. How was she going to explain it to Jason? The whole thing sounded like it couldn't possibly work. At the same time, she knew that Eclipse wouldn't give out an assignment that was impossible, either. This was putting a damper on what would have otherwise been a fairly carefree day.


	12. Komm, susser Tod

The door to her dad's bedroom closed. Konata heard it from her room. He was going to bed later than usual that night... She was beginning to wonder how she would ever get outside without him noticing.

She set down the manga she had been reading - Neon Genesis Evangelion: Angelic Days. It was a lot like the original anime series, except without all the psychological trauma, and depression... So yeah, it was actually nothing like the original anime, come to think of it. The series had been reimagined as a more lighthearted comedy, but still featured an occasional giant robot battle.

This was the closest thing she could find to the version of Rei she had met at Comiket a week before. It still wasn't exactly like her, the Rei in the manga had more self-control, although she was still a cheerful extrovert. Maybe Rei's world wasn't a manga or anime series - not in Konata's world, anyway.

There was also the fact that Rei seemed to be an actual human - as in, she hadn't been created artificially. Well, as far as Konata could tell. How would you be able to tell that about someone, anyway?

Opening the door slowly, Konata stepped out of her room. She grabbed her coat and put it on as she headed for the front door. According to the clock, she was already late for the meeting.

The night was dark and chilly. A faint breeze was blowing. Not many people were out walking around past curfew, but Konata was used to being out at this hour. It was the ideal time to leave this world temporarily and not be noticed.

She saw Jason and Rei both waiting under a streetlight. Rei was leaning up against it with her arms folded. She looked up as Konata approached.

"Finally! We thought you'd never show up. What took you so long?" she asked.

"Sorry about that. Dad was still awake, I couldn't get past him. I'm ready to go now," Konata replied.

"So you two will be going into the base," Jason said. "I'll stay back at NERV in your world, Rei. I'll still be in contact with you. We need to get Unit 00 out without being noticed. You can store it just like you would a regular weapon. Rei, you know how to do that, right?"

Rei stared at him. "What do you mean, exactly...? I can't pick something like that up. You realize it's gigantic, right?"

"Like we do with this?" Konata asked. A sword appeared in her hand, appearing as a flash of white before solidifying.

Rei looked at the sword... then looked back at Konata. "So that's what you mean...? I... I guess you can handle that part, then. But after we're done, you've gotta show me how to do that."

Konata's sword disappeared. "It's a deal. So, we're ready?"

"As much as we'll ever be," Jason said, flatly and without enthusiasm. "I still don't see how this could possibly end well."

They departed, leaving the street empty once again.

* * *

Chapter 12

The Guilt Is All Mine

* * *

The next moment they were standing in Tokyo-3, and the first thing Konata noticed was the change in the weather. It had been early January back home, now it was probably around mid July. She took off her coat, she probably shouldn't have even brought it.

"You'll be okay getting in on your own, then?" Jason said.

"Yeah, there's an old entrance around here somewhere. Nobody's going to be watching it," Rei said. "They aren't supposed to be using that part of the base anymore."

"So then what do we do when we get to the part they_ are_ still using?" Konata asked.

"Um... you can think of something when we get there, can't you, senpai?"

"And with that... inspiring plan, I'm going to leave now," Jason said. "Do your best not to make this a total failure. Rei, do you have the coordinates for your world?"

"Huh? Oh, sure." She handed him a scrap of paper, which he copied onto his Talisman. He left them on their own.

Konata looked around at the buildings. They had a futuristic look to them, but it still wasn't radically different than what she was used to. They were on the edge of the city, a section that wasn't entirely urbanized. Rei started walking away from the buildings and towards a lake.

"So the entrance is supposed to be around here somewhere..." She was looking around, her gaze settling on a tunnel built into a cliff face. The smooth stone revealed it as man-made, but it hadn't been used in some time. "There it is! Shall we enter?"

Konata admired Rei's carefree attitude. It wasn't entirely unlike her own, although as far as these missions were concerned Konata took them very seriously. "That leads to NERV? Sure, let's go ahead."

The floor was completely covered in dirt and mud. The walls were only slightly better, you could almost tell that they had once been bricked over although most of it was falling apart. Konata lit the way ahead with a small flame, which was met with another request of "show me how you're doing that" from Rei. As they advanced farther, the amount of mud became visibly less and it almost seemed like this might be part of the base.

Rei suddenly spoke. "Um... to tell the truth, I really don't know what to expect once we get in there."

"Seriously? They didn't tell you anything?" Konata turned around and looked at her in the dim orange glow.

"I guess it's supposed to be something like where I'm from, only different, but they didn't explain how."

"Well..." Konata tried to think, but she didn't really know what to say. Was this world different from the anime as well? "You're the only one who can pilot Unit 00, right? It only responds to you."

"I... guess so, yeah."

"So that would mean if there's a Unit 00 here, there's also another Rei. And probably Shinji, Asuka... everyone."

"But... they're different?"

"Most likely."

Rei fell silent again, probably trying to imagine what these different versions of the people she knew would be like. She was new to the organization... Alternate universes were a hard concept to grasp. And now Konata couldn't help but wonder... Were there other versions of her world? Herself? Her friends? Most likely there were, somewhere out there.

As they continued along, the brick walls stopped and large square gray tiles began to line the wall. They were fairly clean, and almost none of them were cracked or chipped away. And after a few more meters...

"Is that an elevator?" Konata said.

"Looks like it!" Rei ran over and examined it. "Think it still works?"

"Give it a shot." Konata watched as Rei attempted to signal the elevator, and sure enough there was a near-silent rumble from somewhere below them in the shaft.

* * *

A small alert appeared on one of the monitors.

"Hm? It says the power in the old abandoned section got switched on." Hyuga Makoto looked at the indicator. Nobody had used that part of the base for years now. Sure, it could be another system error, but he couldn't be sure.

"Do we have any working security measures on that sector?" Lieutenant Katsuragi Misato had stepped over to Makoto's station, and was looking at the blinking text. "Check to see if anyone's in there. I can't imagine how anyone would find their way in like that."

Makoto referred to a map of the base, checking where the disturbance was coming from. It seemed they still had a few cameras down there. He switched them on. Nothing but empty hallways at the moment. The view panned back and forth slowly.

"L-Lieutenant!" Another one of the technicians, Aoba Shigeru, was calling for Misato now. "We're detecting an AT Field approaching the city!"

"An Angel?" She turned back to Makoto. "Keep that security camera online. In the meantime, get the pilots down here right away."

She couldn't help but wonder if somehow the intruder in the old sector and the Angel were somehow related... But there was no time for that. Any attack by an Angel was a threat, and thousands of lives depended on their success.

* * *

The elevator was surprisingly smooth, aside from a few bumps and shakes as they descended.

"I can tell you one thing, Rei," Konata said.

"Huh?" Rei looked over at her.

"In just about all the different versions of Evangelion that are out there, you're supposed to be very calm and emotionless," Konata said. "Which is exactly the opposite of how you are, but... If we run into anyone, that's most likely what they expect from you."

"Alright..." Rei thought for a moment. "But we're trying _not_ to run into anyone, right? So I won't have to worry about that."

The doors opened onto a hallway - with light, this time. This part was still powered, maybe even still in use. Either way, it was empty at the moment. From the door of the elevator, the hall stretched out to the left, right, and straight ahead - three different ways to go, all nondescript, leaving them only to guess which way to go.

"Your call on this one. Which way feels right?" Konata asked.

"What? Uh, I guess..." Rei looked around. Not that it revealed any new insight. "Let's head to the right."

Down that hall Konata could see that the path split yet again, in two directions. They could keep going forward or make another right turn. The walls were all the same shade of light green, the kind of muted tone you would see in a hospital. But on one wall...

"Finally, some directions!" Konata went over to them right away. "So the bridge... That's where they would have the EVAs stored, right?" Rei nodded. "It says to take a right turn here."

Rei was about to charge onward, but Konata put a hand up. It was completely silent... except for a slow, rhythmic whir of something mechanical moving.

"What is that?" Rei whispered.

Konata backed against the wall and looked around the corner. Her eyes fell on a small red light. A camera. It was pointed the other way, but as she watched it it began to swivel around towards them. And if it was turned on and moving, watching a part of the complex that was supposed to be out of use, then someone might be watching it. Looking for them. If they saw Rei, it would probably be fine, but Konata didn't look anything like someone who was supposed to be here.

"So, Rei..." Konata said, turning to her. "Are you familiar with Metal Gear Solid, by any chance?"

"Uh... what? What does that have to do with anything?"

"So you're not."

"No."

"Dammit... This is exactly the kind of situation where the skills you develop from games come in handy. We need to get past without that camera seeing us, otherwise there'll be guards all over this place in minutes." Konata was getting a weird look in her eye, a look of manic determination.

"But I thought this section was abandoned? Even if they sent someone, it would be a while before they got here..."

"That's the kind of thinking that will get you killed. And trust me, Rei, it's not a pleasant experience. Now, how are we supposed to avoid it... This is annoying." Konata was scanning the area for blind spots in the camera's vision.

"Wait, are you saying you've gotten k- " Before Rei could finish, there was an explosion from around the corner. They heard a clatter of something falling to the ground, some sparking from broken wires and circuits.

For a moment they didn't say anything, they just stared at each other, wondering who would be the first to move. Finally Rei said, "I guess I could go check on it, then?"

She found the remains of the camera, utterly destroyed. The rotating arm that had fixed it to the wall was snapped, a tangle of wires sticking out from it. The light had turned off.

"I guess we don't have to worry about that anymore, now, do we?" Rei smiled. "I'm not the type of person who would question a good thing. Let's just get going."

Konata couldn't help but wonder what had just happened. Was it just that the equipment here was old, and prone to malfunctions? But really, just exploding like that was a little excessive. Not that it wasn't a good thing, they could move faster if they weren't being watched. She decided it wasn't worth the thought, just like Rei said, and they continued down the halls, following the occasional directions, passing through areas that were starting to seem like maybe they were still in use...

It was a few more minutes before Konata stopped again and put out a hand, pulling Rei back.

"Quiet... you hear something?" Konata whispered.

"No, nothing..." Rei was getting tired of moving so slowly. Her entire world was counting on them, they had to hurry. "Wait..." Rei listened... and heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Someone else was in here with them. Not that it was unexpected. "What do we do now?" Rei whispered.

"Hide," Konata said.

Rei looked around, but there was nowhere to go. Those footsteps were getting closer now.

"Where exactly do you think we could - " She turned around to talk to Konata, but she was already gone. How was she so _fast?_ "Oh crap, you're not just going to leave me here, are you?"

"Rei?" She knew that voice - Shinji. Her best friend from school. She turned around.

He was standing there with Asuka, and they were both wearing their school uniforms. Apparently they had just gotten out of school, but - no, they weren't the same people she knew from her world. They weren't her best friends. They might as well be total strangers.

"Um, hey guys, I was just - " Rei didn't know what to say to them. Too much was going through her mind. She tried to smile, act like nothing was wrong, of course she had known these people all her life, there was no reason for them to think otherwise... "Look, it's great to see you guys, but - "

They stared back at her. "Rei, are you... feeling alright?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" She tried to laugh it off, but that was met with only more looks of confusion.

Asuka gave an exasperated sigh. "We don't have time for this. Come on, Wonder Girl, we need to get ready."

"Wonder Girl...?" Rei wondered where that nickname had come from. "No, look, I'm actually supposed to be doing... something else... You go on ahead, won't you?"

"No, they said we were all supposed to come. There's an Angel attacking. A big one... And we're all supposed to fight it together," Shinji told her. Rei's eyes widened as she heard that.

"An... an Angel? Here? Now?" Rei said. This was quickly becoming extremely inconvenient.

"Where else would it be?" Asuka said. "Of course it's coming here."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Shinji asked her. Rei was searching frantically for something to tell them.

"She's just fine, aren't you? You're doing your best to seem like a normal human being. I applaud your efforts." Asuka pulled Rei by the arm before she could ask what she meant. Then she remembered what Konata had told her, about this world in the anime. She wasn't supposed to act normal, she was supposed to be devoid of visible emotion, and...

She was already blowing the mission. No thanks to Konata, just leaving her to fend for herself.

"You - You can let go now, I can walk by myself..." Rei tried to say.

* * *

Konata had heard the entire conversation, and with a great deal of relief heard them turn in the opposite direction from where she had run off to. They thought that Rei was the same person they knew from this world... They did notice her odd behavior, but that couldn't be helped.

Her phone rang. It sounded very loud in this empty part of the base, and it seemed to echo off every wall. She answered it quickly just to stop the noise.

"Konata, is everything alright?" It was Jason. "I'm in the control room back at the other NERV. We just picked up an AT field signature. It's going to be here in just half an hour. Are you going to be ready?"

"So the Angel's coming so soon? Funny story, actually, same thing's happening here..."

"What do you mean? There's an Angel where you are?"

"Apparently. And Rei just met up with the other pilots, they're taking her with them. Just tell me if anything else goes wrong with this mission."

Neither of them said anything for a moment, then Jason finally responded. "I don't know what else to tell you, just make sure that you get that EVA... And make sure Rei gets back here too. I can't believe we have to take their EVA right when an Angel's attacking, this could end horribly..."

"But we have to do it, right?" Konata said. "They don't seem like they like it when you disobey orders. I want to stay on their good side." Memories of her visit to headquarters were coming back to her. The message she had received, threatening to end her membership as part of Eclipse. She couldn't afford to mess this one up.

"That's true... Just hurry up. I'll see you soon, then." He hung up.

Konata looked around. She could head straight to the bridge now. She hadn't seen if Shinji and Asuka were in their plug suits yet, but she knew that Rei had just been wearing street clothes. She would have to go to the locker room to get ready, and maybe the others would too...

A half hour left. The minutes were ticking down as she stood there considering what to do. Konata decided to give up on stealth. If she was seen, she would run.

She noticed a few other security cameras along the way. Most of them were still attached to the wall, a few were snapped but dangled from the wire. It was obvious that all of them were offline. A power surge, maybe?

* * *

Rei was at an absolute loss.

She had gone to the locker room to change into her plug suit. Well, technically this plug suit would belong to a different Rei, who had yet to appear (thankfully). She would need to be wearing the suit to pilot Unit 00, so this did save some time, but how was she supposed to get away from these people to pilot it in her own world?

And where the hell was Konata?

"You certainly seem more talkative today." Rei turned to see Asuka, in her red plug suit that matched her hair quite well.

Another one of those times that Rei had no idea how to act, or what to say... "I... do?"

"So what's been with all the days off from school? Are you really injured or just lazy?"

"Days off?" Rei instantly regretted saying that. She was expected to know what she had been doing, so couldn't she just act like she knew? Make something up... "Yeah... I've been getting sick." That sounded good. Unoriginal, but good enough.

"Seriously?" Asuka was unimpressed.

Shinji stepped out of the boys' locker room. "I'm ready to go now. We... we need to hurry."

"You okay, Shinji? Can you do this?" Rei said. She was concerned for him, he seemed so scared of going out there to fight. It was the same way in Rei's own world, but to a lesser degree. This Shinji seemed like he might have a mental condition or something.

"I'll be fine. Thanks..." He was giving her a strange look again, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. "You really have changed, Rei. Did something happen since I last saw you?"

"I'm fine. Really. Let's just go." This was another time she wasn't sure what to do. Should she be moving them along, or trying to buy more time for Konata? And they didn't seem convinced that she was the same person they knew. At least, she didn't think that the idea she could be a different person had crossed their minds - but they noticed a difference in behavior, one that Rei didn't know how to cover.

She opened the door in front of them, leading back out into the hallway and towards the bridge, and stopped when she saw a mirror. It must be the wrong door, how had she gotten turned around?

Except it wasn't a mirror.

"What the _hell?_" Asuka exclaimed.

Rei stared into the face of another girl - well, technically it was herself. Or was it? Something was different about the eyes. They were flat. Dead. Even though they were as wide open in shock as Rei's own eyes were, this other Rei didn't seem fully human.

"What's going on?" Shinji said. "Rei, who is that?"

Neither of the two Reis said anything in reply.

"Who... are you?" the other Rei finally said. "You're not supposed to be here..."

"There are _two_ Wonder Girls? You're - you're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Asuka said.

Rei knew she was backed into a corner. There was absolutely no way she could explain to them what was going on... No sensible way. If Konata was able to get Unit 00, maybe they wouldn't be completely dead. She turned around to face Shinji and Asuka.

"Um... well..." Rei started. "How do I say this... Good luck out there fighting the Angel. I mean it. But we really need to borrow your Unit 00, so..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Asuka said. "What do you mean, 'borrow?'"

Rei had her Talisman out, and was entering the coordinates to go back. She waved her free hand. "Look, just forget about this whole thing, okay? It's all a big misunderstanding. And really, good luck out there, you two. And as for you, other me..." She turned around again. "You'll just have to sit this one out. Is that okay?"

"What...?" The other Rei was showing just the barest expression of shock. It was the kind of expression you might have if you looked out the window and saw it was raining on a day it was supposed to be sunny. Not the kind of face you would have when you met a second version of yourself.

So _this_ was what Konata had been talking about. If only Rei would have gotten it earlier.

"So... I'll see you later then?" Rei said. "Well, maybe not." This had been going on too long, she activated the Talisman and got out of there, leaving the three of them frozen in confusion.

* * *

Konata's phone rang again. Once again, it sounded way too loud - not to mention that she was beginning to pass by rooms that seemed to be in regular use. She ducked into one of the darkened rooms to answer it

"Hey, Konata, you doing alright?" It was Rei this time.

"Yeah, but - what happened to you?"

"Well, things were getting kind of dicey, so... I bailed."

"You _what?_"

"I'm back in my own world now. I'm ready to go whenever you get Unit 00 over here, so... How's that going? We're all counting on you, now."

Konata sighed. "Well, I'm almost there. I think. How much time do I have, anyway?"

"Hang on, let me check." She could hear Rei ask someone else how much time there was, then speak back to her again. "You've got five minutes."

It was already that close? "I need to hang up then. I think I've got this."

"Okay, bye!" Rei still managed to sound so carefree. There wasn't much more that could go wrong with this mission, was there? But then Konata stopped herself - there was, in fact, a lot more that could go wrong.

* * *

Lieutenant Katsuragi was standing on a suspended walkway, directly in front of the face of one of the EVAs - Unit 00, to be precise. It had sustained some damage in an earlier confrontation, but the Angel that was approaching was so dangerous... All available units would be deployed, if that was even enough.

She could only hope that it would be.

They had called this Angel "Zeruel" - it was the Fourteenth Angel, and it had landed just minutes ago. The city had already sustained some damage. Like all the Angels, its target was the underground NERV headquarters, and Zeruel was having unprecedented success breaking through the barriers.

She heard the voice of the commander, Ikari Gendo, come on over the intercom. It echoed in the expansive room. "The pilots are ready to enter. Prepare the EVAs for deployment."

Misato breathed a sigh of relief. So much seemed to be going wrong today. There had been the intruders in that old sector - if there truly had been any, they had never seen any evidence. All the security cameras had short-circuited before anything could be seen. They still didn't know what had caused that. And on top of it all, the pilots were running later than usual. Even Rei, who was usually on time...

It was too early to relax, though. The Angel still stood undefeated.

* * *

Konata stopped as she reached the dock. She could see Unit 00 now. Well, not all of it, just the huge blue and white head. Seeing it in an anime hadn't given the same sense of scale that she had now. The thing was absolutely massive. So _that's_ why they call them giant mecha.

There was still the problem of Misato, standing right in front of it. Konata supposed she could just run past. It didn't matter too much if she was seen, apparently Rei had already screwed up in that regard.

The bigger problem was the distance between the EVA and the walkway. You couldn't just reach out and touch it. She had forgotten what this room had looked like, and therefore had overlooked that rather important detail.

All she had to do was touch it, and put it into hyperdimensional storage like she regularly did with much smaller objects - a veritable armory of swords, battleaxes, rifles, shotguns, and armor, among other useful trinkets she had picked up. Was it any harder to take in a giant mecha? Especially realizing that it was just so _big..._

Konata checked the time. Two minutes until the Angel was predicted to arrive in the other world.

She had time to act, not to think. Quickly scanning the area, tracing the path that she would take... Realizing that this would break all kinds of rules. Eclipse, NERV, physics themselves... Was it a good plan? Considering the amount of time she had to think it over, it was good enough.

First, she had to set the coordinates on her Talisman. All she would have to do was press the key to confirm, once she was ready, and she would instantly be gone. She held it in her left hand, keeping it ready. Then she looked back at her target, preparing to move...

Konata broke out into a sprint, charging directly down the walkway. At the sound of her footsteps, Misato turned around and looked at the girl coming straight at her.

"Who are you? What the hell are you _doing?_" Misato demanded.

"Sorry, we really need to borrow this!" Konata yelled, without stopping. "I'll give it back once we're done, I promise!"

She jumped up, landing on the railing just long enough to launch herself into a spin off of it. She reached out, touched the EVA, and put all her focus into it. She could see it flash white and disappear, although it took a lot of energy to store something so massive. As she fell through the empty space where it had stood, she activated the Talisman and

* * *

landed on the floor of the control room of the other NERV headquarters. She landed hard. She laid there for a while, catching her breath. All in all, that had taken about eleven seconds total.

"Oh, you're back," Jason said. "Everything... go okay?"

Konata sat up, still feeling exhausted. "More or less... I got it." She was so out of breath. Using magic usually made her feel slight fatigue, but nothing like that before. At least her part was over now.

She saw Rei, in her white plug suit, standing off to the side. "Hey, sorry I messed up back there. Thanks so much for finishing up on your own."

"You need to get down to the bridge quick and drop off Unit 00. It's going to take some time for them to sync it to the systems here," Jason said.

"Ramiel predicted to arrive in one minute, fifteen seconds," one of the technicians reported. The monitors around the room were showing images of various points in the city, while one showed a floating blue octahedral shape somewhere outside the city limits. That was Ramiel, apparently. Turning to Konata, the technican said, "Rei can lead you to the bridge. Hurry."

It almost seemed to Konata like this was the same base she had been in moments before. The layout was the same, the people working here were the same, and yet... Somehow everything was still different.

She followed Rei into the bridge - the same gigantic open space she had left from. Unit 01 was currently docked here.

"Shinji's going to be the one taking the Angel down. I'm just supposed to cover him. But this Angel...They said something like it destroys anything that gets too close, so we can't attack it directly," Rei said. "Shinji's just supposed to use this sniper rifle thing that they designed. And it's going to knock out the power to the entire city once he uses it. Pretty crazy, huh? I can't wait."

"I think I remember this part," Konata said. "Be careful out there, alright? We're just borrowing this EVA, so don't get it totaled like you did with your own."

Rei looked down in shame. "Yeah, I know..."

They stopped in front of an empty space. Konata looked at where Unit 00 was supposed to be stationed. "I've never done this kind of thing before, but... here goes," she said.

She raised both her hands, trying to visualize the EVA taking form where it was supposed to be. Instead of in her hands, like she would do with just about any other object. It would go where it had started out, in a different version of this world. She closed her eyes, already starting to feel tired again trying to do this...

There was a bright flash of light. Opening her eyes, Konata saw Unit 00, in exactly the right place. That was a relief. It had taken just about everything out of her to do it.

"Wow, that was... incredible!" a voice said over the intercom. "Rei, keep going on up towards the entry plug. Beginning synchronization sequence..."

"I'll see you later then," Rei said, and hurried off.

Konata managed to drag herself back to the control room, finding a place to sit once she got there and staring up at the monitors. There was all sorts of weird text, numbers, and symbols on them... Back when this had just been an anime, she had thought they didn't mean anything, they just looked scientific. But apparently everything was up there for a reason. But she wasn't thinking too hard into it.

She was more interested in just who exactly Rei was... The original Rei was more of a kuudere, she had some emotion but it barely ever showed. This Rei was actually moe. If Konata had to give her a score, she'd be somewhere just below Tsukasa. It was a good thing Tsukasa never had to worry about piloting a giant mecha. Moe was usually an excellent quality, something in high demand, but this wasn't exactly the best genre for it. Hopefully with some more training Rei could find a balance, keeping that cute clumsiness without being entirely hopeless and unintentionally destructive.

"Pilot sync ratio is perfect. Ready to deploy."

_We've come far enough,_ Konata thought. _Please, Rei, don't screw up again..._

* * *

The fight lasted much longer than a usual half-hour anime episode. It actually took two hours for the rifle to be fully charged, and during that time Unit 00 took significant damage. It was equipped with a shield, which held up to the blasts from the Angel, but just barely. Mostly, the Angel was focusing on working its way into the underground headquarters.

"So how do you even manage to take so much damage that an EVA is put out of service for a month? I thought they were pretty durable," Konata said.

"Hopefully we won't get to see how it happens today," Jason said.

"Yeah, really... How much more do you think the shield can take?"

One of the technicians answered her. "The damage threshold has about 30% remaining. Each shot seemed to take away around 20 to 25% integrity."

"And if it breaks the shield and hits the EVA instead?" Konata asked.

"It would probably take a week to get it back into service."

Which brought her back to the question of how Rei managed to take so much damage in that earlier battle. Could you even do that on accident, or had she been trying?

"Just stay positive, alright?" Jason told her.

"That's all we can do now, I guess," Konata replied. "Still, have you ever seen this anime? There isn't exactly much 'positive thinking' going around usually."

"Maybe it's what they need. Rei seems to be good at it in this universe," Jason said.

It was another few minutes before Misato announced the rifle was charged enough to take a shot. Konata couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Shinji missed with this shot. But no... Stay positive, like Jason said. It would hit. It would have to.

When Shinji finally prepared to take the shot... Everything turned off. The lights. The monitors. The sound feed from both EVA pilots. Konata did remember this episode, it had taken the entire power supply of the city to fire the rifle. After a moment in the dark, the lights flickered on. NERV had backup generators, apparently. The monitors stayed black, but they had a weak sound feed coming in.

"We got it!" Rei said cheerfully through loud, fuzzy static. "But, umm... I can't move. How are we supposed to get out of here?"

"Nice work, Rei," Misato said. "Just wait, we need to divert some backup power to you and Shinji. We'll get you out soon enough."

* * *

"So once we get back there, what are we supposed to say to them?"

Rei had brought up a good point. Konata was wondering the same thing herself, as they stood ready to return to the original Evangelion universe. Hijacking one-third of their firepower had probably thrown a wrench in their plans, to say the least. The other world's Misato certainly wouldn't be happy to see Konata again. As for the other Shinji and Asuka... Not to mention the other Rei... How much would they be allowed to explain to them?

"You'll think of something when you get there, won't you, Rei?" Jason said, somewhat teasingly. Everyone was much more relaxed now that the mission had been a success. Against all odds, it had somehow worked.

"I'm ready to go," Konata said. She had picked up Unit 00 again, although she was getting exhausted from putting it into storage and taking it out so many times.

"Alright. Let's wrap this up," Jason said, and they warped out.

* * *

At first they couldn't be sure if this was the right universe. They could have gotten the coordinates wrong, but...

"Did... _we _do this?" Rei said.

On closer inspection, this was the same place they had arrived the first time they had come here. Everything had been destroyed. Buildings had been reduced to rubble. Craters of varying sizes marked what was left of the streets, cracks splitting open the earth. It was eerily silent.

"We didn't do this. We just allowed it to happen, that's all," Jason said. There was bitter sarcasm in his tone.

"Oh my god..." Konata said. There wasn't much else to say.

Rei's world had been saved, but this world had suffered in order to unwillingly provide for the other. Shinji and Asuka had not been enough to stop this Angel. Maybe they had been delayed, due to the confusion Rei and Konata had both caused by being seen. Not to mention causing an EVA to just vanish like that.

"What do we do now?" Rei looked at both of them.

"I've never had something like this happen. What's going to happen to us?" Konata asked.

Jason was silent for a moment, in deep thought. "Listen. You go back. I suppose you can leave Unit 00 back with the other NERV... the remaining one, I should say. I'll take full responsibility for this."

"No, you didn't have anything to do with it..." Konata said.

"You've already got a black mark on your record. The last thing you need to be tied to is this. Just go back. And if I don't show up at school... You'll know what happened."

Konata didn't want to think about it.

They left, going their separate ways.

* * *

"Is it really so horrible to have to come back to school after break?" Kagami asked.

Konata didn't reply. She hadn't said much all day, in fact. Lunch seemed so quiet without her usual witty remarks. She just sat there, with her head on the table, her face covered by her hair.

"Kona-chan... Is something wrong?" Tsukasa asked.

"I'm fine, really..." Konata didn't even look up. "Just a headache, that's all."

"Do you need to see the nurse?" Miyuki said. "Maybe you should just go home for the day."

Konata was silent again. It wasn't like her to be so depressed over nothing... Kagami had realized that Jason hadn't come to school today, so maybe that was what was wrong with her. But it wasn't like it was the end of the world, right? He was probably just sick. It had been cold out. Lots of people were getting sick. He'd be back in a few days. Konata was probably just putting on an act, or something...

Still, Kagami had a bad feeling for some reason.

* * *

Konata had managed to make it to work that day, despite really not being in the mood for it. It was all weighing down on her so much. Jason was still gone. Nothing could change the fact that they had, in effect, killed thousands of people. Possibly caused the destruction of an entire world, for that matter. She doubted that they could ever be forgiven for that, and so it was likely Jason was never coming back. And there was also a chance they would cut her off from the organization as well. They knew she had been a part of it, they had sent Rei to find her specifically, after all.

All this depression and anxiety was being channeled into her performance as a particularly irritated and bored Haruhi cosplay waitress.

Once her shift was over, she left the cafe, stepping out into the stairway of the building it was located in. Her head was hanging down, and she was just staring at the floor. She only looked up once she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, I thought I'd find you here."

"Jason? What are you doing? I thought..."

"Apparently, it's all alright," he said. "They said that... well, that world was doomed either way. Even if they had all three EVAs available to fight that day... It still would have been hopeless. There was nothing we could do."

"So they just let them die?" Konata said. She couldn't believe it.

"Eclipse had interests invested in a different universe. They put more importance on saving that one. Some things are just inevitable."

"So... Nothing's going to happen to us."

"Nope."

It was somewhat of a relief. But even so, how could the organization just leave so many people behind? Even if that world had been doomed, they couldn't have saved anyone? Maybe it was better than letting both worlds die.

She didn't want to think about it any more.


	13. Shine

Had it already been a full year? It didn't seem like it could have been, but at the same time Konata felt like it had been much longer since her life had changed. Going back and forth between her own world and countless others, in different planes of space and time, she really was losing track of the days. It had caught her completely off-guard when Kuroi had started talking about starting their third and final year of high school already.

And, of course, seeing as their second year had ended, it was time for their foreign exchange student friend to leave. Konata, Tsukasa, Kagami, and Miyuki had all come to the airport to see him off.

Konata thought back to the day they had met Jason. Just a new transfer student, who happened to ask them for directions. She now knew it wasn't just a chance encounter, he had come for the sole purpose of recruiting her into the organization. Her exact memories of the day were a bit fuzzy, as were all her memories before that first trip outside. She had adapted so well to living in anime that she could barely remember what everyone had looked like normally.

Everyone else thought he was just a typical American exchange student, with some exceptional talent in Japanese as well as athletics. Konata didn't think about it much, but now that she did, she realized she was the only one here who really knew who he was, what he was really like. And he had spent a year in this world just to train her.

Thinking of it that way, Konata almost felt that she must be someone special to get such attention. But no, she was sure this was typical procedure for new recruits. The organization had millions of members, they could divert some of their resources exclusively to training. She didn't know any other new recruits, anyway...

Unless you counted Rei. She had been a new recruit, the mission she had taken with Konata was the first one she had been a part of... And she didn't have a personal mentor. But then again, Eclipse was allied with NERV completely, it wasn't a secret arrangement, so that was a special case. And Rei already had combat experience, at least as far as giant robots were concerned.

That mission, back in January. Even after four months, Konata still didn't know what to make of it. Not that she was in any position to question Eclipse's strategy.

So this was it, then. Jason was going 'home' (wherever he was going to be living next, at least) and Konata would be on her own for a while. Just like how things were supposed to be, according to the Lucky Star anime and manga. It was going to be lonely not having anyone around to talk to about her second life. Could she manage?

* * *

Chapter 13

Teach Me Where To Go

* * *

This was Tsukasa's first time at Narita International Airport - well, to be more correct, any airport at all. Whatever travelling her family did, they usually took a train or a car. The crowds were bringing back some of the more unpleasant memories from Comiket a few months ago. At least she wasn't alone this time - everyone had come with her.

They stopped to check the list of flights. Jason was rolling a large black wheeled suitcase behind him, and carrying a backpack. So that was everything he had brought with him to stay a year in another country? It didn't seem like much.

"Let's see..." he said, scanning the list. "Oh, there. Just one flight to Burlington today. Looks like it's on time."

"It's been very nice to meet you, Ellis-san," Miyuki said.

"Thanks, it's been great to be here. I'm going to miss all of you, but feel free to call if you ever want to talk again."

"Well, come to think of it, you've never given us your home number. Or your address," Kagami said.

"Oh, well... Don't bother with those. Just call me on my cell."

Someone announced that the flight would be boarding in 15 minutes.

"Well... I guess this is goodbye, then," Jason said. "It's been fun."

"Yeah! Um... Do you think you'll ever come back? Just to visit?" Tsukasa asked.

"That could be fun. Maybe over the summer or something." He picked up the handle of his suitcase. "So maybe I'll see you all again. I hope I can, at least. Bye."

He started walking away towards security. They stayed a while to watch him go through, when suddenly Konata said, "Wait just a minute. I need to go talk to him."

"Okay then..." Kagami said. She watched as Konata ran off to meet up with Jason.

"I wonder what that's about," Miyuki said.

Kagami didn't say anything.

* * *

"Hey. We can still work together, right?" Konata said.

"Of course. I mean, I'm going much farther away than they realize, but it's really no hassle to keep meeting up every night." He turned to her. "You knew that, right?"

"Yeah..." Konata hesitated a while. "So where are you really going?"

"I heard there was a zombie apocalypse somewhere. A total worldwide epidemic. I thought I'd work on it back in the good old United States, though." He laughed a bit. "So I guess I am going back to America, after all."

"Sounds like fun. No more school for you, then."

Jason smiled. "Just how I like it. I'm so tired of having to study so much just to get average scores..."

"And I have to go back to school each day, study, do all of that..." Konata said, her voice trailing off with the lack of enthusiasm.

They waited a while in the line in front of security. Jason looked back once at the others, who were still standing back a ways. Kagami seemed to be watching them, while Miyuki and Tsukasa were just talking to each other.

"So what do I have to do to do that?" Konata said. Jason turned back to look at her. She continued, "Like just go from place to place, taking the more time-consuming missions. You know. What you do."

"Do you even realize what you're saying, Konata?" Jason said in shock. "You'd be leaving everything behind here - "

"I've already thought about it. This is the best choice for me." Her tone hadn't changed. She was completely calm, as usual.

"You'd be leaving all your friends behind. Your family. You've got a good life here. You'd really give it all up?"

"Are you trying to talk me out of this?" she asked.

"I'm just stating the facts."

"I've already thought about everything. I didn't say I thought it would be easy. But other than them... My friends, and everyone..." Konata was looking around aimlessly, staring at the floor, the walls. "All that I have left of high school is my senior year. Then we all go to college, probably in completely separate parts of the country, and then we get jobs... I don't even know what kind of job I want. There's nothing I really want to do besides... well, this."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

Jason thought for a moment. The line was moving, they were getting close to the gate. "I suppose it could be arranged. If you really want to go through with this..."

"I've been thinking about it for a while now."

"Then it'll probably still be a while before it's time for you to leave. Up until then, you'll just have to live the remainder of your life here normally. Like you have been doing. It's not too late to reconsider. But if you're serious about doing this... I'd suggest making the most of your time."

"Yeah..." Konata was thinking about what he had said. Making the most of what was left... She really would miss everyone, but there was also so much that she had to gain. It was the first time she had seriously considered what she was going to do with her life. And, most importantly, she wanted this. "So I'll see you tonight, I guess. So what are you doing once you get off the flight, anyway? It's not like you had to take a plane to leave."

"As soon as your friends said they wanted to come see me off, it was. Once I get off, though, I guess I'll just wander around the airport for a while, find a coffee shop, enjoy an iced cappuccino while I can before the end of the civilized world. Just call me once you're ready to come help out."

"I'll do that." She left, going back to her friends who had been waiting patiently throughout the conversation.

* * *

Kagami was a bit surprised from what she had seen. There was too much chatter in the airport to overhear anything - not to mention several different languages all being spoken at once, which made it hard enough. What had she expected? Something a bit more... emotional, maybe. They had left without even a hug. It wasn't as common in Japan, but Jason was American, so who knows? There was even a chance they might kiss.

She had to admit, she was a little jealous of what Konata had...

And Tsukasa and Miyuki really had no idea what was going on? It was so obvious! It had been from day one, just about.

Konata joined up with them again. "Hey, I'm all done. I guess we can leave now."

"So do you mind me asking what you two were talking about?" Kagami asked.

"It was nothing. Really."

_You never have any intention of letting us know about this, ever, do you?_ Kagami thought. _I suppose it's your choice._

* * *

The next couple of days, Konata stayed at home. She was spending most of her time playing some of her favorite old games. She wasn't really focusing on them, she just wanted to do something while she made her decision. She was pretty set on her chosen course. And yes, it would be difficult.

One day, though...

"Hey, everyone! Guess who just got accepted to Ryoo Academy?"

Konata recognized Yui's voice immediately. It was about time for Yutaka to come over to stay with them, wasn't it? Yes, she had been expecting this... It had already been a few days since she had told Jason about her plans to move out of this world, and since then she had been able to focus on little else.

Konata suspended the game she had been playing to go out and greet them. She reminded herself to act surprised.

"Hey, Yu-chan, congrats!" she said.

"Thanks, I hope it's not too much of a hassle to have me stay here..." Yutaka said. She was so quiet and nice, it was just adorable.

"It's no problem, really. In fact, you couldn't have come at a better time." And Konata meant it. If Yutaka was living here, then at least her dad wouldn't be completely alone. It was almost cruel to think of it that way, but at the same time, it was the best possible way.

Sojiro had that look of utter satisfaction and delight on his face that Konata had learned to recognize and accept as a part of his very being. Having Yutaka here was almost too much for him. "Yeah, we're really glad to have you here!" he said. "Just... make yourself at home!" He muttered to himself, "Oh man, this is going to be great..." Konata hoped she was the only one who had heard that.

"So tell us all about the entrance exams. Were they hard?" Konata asked.

"N-no, they weren't too... I did just fine!" Yutaka said.

"Hey, calm down. I never said you didn't." Konata smiled. "Remind me to introduce you to Tsukasa and Miyuki sometime... You guys would make a really great team." In Konata's scale of moe ranking, Yutaka was almost ridiculously high. At least at Miyuki's level, if not above.

"Thank you! I'm glad I get to start the year with some friends in a higher class. But, come to think of it, I already made a friend in my own class," Yutaka said.

"Really? Who is it?"

"Well, there was this girl that I met... I was feeling sick. Like I usually do... She let me borrow her handkerchief. She even took me to the nurse's office," Yutaka said. "Wait, I never gave it back to her! I hope I see her again."

"That was really nice of her," Yui said. "But I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends!"

"I don't know... I'm the only one from my middle school, I don't know anyone else. And I don't really know how to talk to new people..."I just want to make sure I get to see her again so that I can thank her for being so nice to me."

"Heh... But what'll you do if Minami doesn't get accepted?" Konata said, just to tease her. Yutaka was so cute when she got upset.

As soon as she saw Yutaka's quizzical expression, Konata realized her mistake.

"Who...?" Yutaka said.

"Uh... I mean..." _Oh man, what _do_ I mean?_ "I don't know, I just thought she... sounded like a Minami. You know how some people just seem like they would have a certain name, or something?" That excuse sounded really weak.

"I think I might know what you're talking about," Yutaka said, still not really sure how to interpret that. "It does seem to fit her, come to think of it."

"Yeah, but I mean, what do I know? I've never met her. For all I know, she could have green hair or something like that," Konata replied.

"What? N-no, she's completely normal!" Yutaka said.

"I was just kidding. It's only a joke."

At that moment, as she had for quite some time now, Konata did know just how Yutaka's school life would turn out. She knew about Minami, she knew about Patricia and Hiyori, who Yutaka hadn't even met yet. It was kind of fun to have all this impossible knowledge, but at the same time... It was all pretty mundane, knowing what was going to happen.

* * *

During their mission that night, Jason told Konata that the arrangements for her to leave her world were already being made. She would have until about the end of May.

And, of course, he reminded her that until then, she could always reconsider.


	14. Strange Days

"Oniichan, you'll never guess what happened today!"

Yutaka sounded excited. She had been looking forward to the first day of school, despite it being, well... school. Konata couldn't relate to that at all. In fact, Konata was looking forward to being done with school _very_ soon.

'Oniichan' was what Yutaka had started calling her. 'Oniichan,' not 'oneechan,' which would have made more sense. Still, Konata did find it endearing. Maybe it was just because Yutaka was already so cute, it was hard to say no to her.

"So what happened, Yu-chan?" Konata asked.

"Remember that girl I was telling you about? The one I met on the day of the entrance exams?" Yutaka said. "Well, I saw her again today, and I remembered to ask what her name is. She really is named Minami! Just like you said. Isn't that weird?"

Konata had been afraid Yutaka was going to say something like that.

"Yeah, that's quite a coincidence," Konata said, trying to keep it casual despite the awkwardness of the situation. "I guess my intuition must be pretty good, then, huh?"

"I actually told her how you thought she sounded like her name would be Minami, and she thought that was pretty funny."

"You... did?" _Way to go, Yu-chan..._

"Well, I just thought it was so weird, you know?" Yutaka said. "So how was your first day of the new term?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Same homeroom as last year. Everything's pretty much the same," Konata said. It really was quite monotonous, going to school every day, not really caring about what was going on. "You can't really expect it to be as interesting as starting your first year of high school."

"To tell the truth, I was a little nervous going in... Since I'm so much smaller than everyone else in my grade, you know," Yutaka said quietly. Then, more cheerfully, added,"But it all went okay, and I already have a new friend!"

"That's good to hear, Yu-chan," Konata said.

* * *

Chapter 14

Backwards Into A Wall Of Fire

* * *

"Hey, Konata, me and Tsukasa were just going to - "

"Sounds great! I'll come with you," Konata said.

"I didn't even say what we were going to do..." Kagami said. "It's like all of a sudden you're spending a lot more time with us. Are you feeling okay?"

It was only a week into the new school year. Everything was pretty much the same, except for Jason not being here anymore. Konata still met up with him each night to do some missions, so it wasn't completely different for her. As for the afternoons between school and work, she was hanging out with her friends as much as she possibly could.

"Sure, I'm just fine. I would think you'd want to hang out more, seeing as you're all alone in your class again," Konata said. "Those class assignments must have something against you. Poor, lonely Kagamin..."

"It has nothing to do with that!" Kagami said. "Anyway, like I was going to say, we're just going out to eat at that buffet place. You know the one. So you want to come?"

"All you can eat for one low price. Sounds like your favorite place on earth, Kagamin."

Kagami's eyes narrowed. "Watch it."

The weather was perfect that day, very warm and sunny. The cherry blossoms were in full force. Konata was enjoying the weather as they left the school together. It was so much nicer than being stuck in a classroom all day. That was something she was sure she wouldn't miss.

"Come to think of it, you have been doing a lot more with us ever since Jason left. It seemed like you really spent a lot of time with him. You lonely or something?" Kagami said.

"No, you're supposed to be the lonely character out of the group. It's one of your defining characteristics." Kagami looked like she was going to respond to that with some sort of biting remark, but Konata continued on before she was able to. "I still talk to him most nights. I'm usually up at 5 in the morning anyway, so that's a convenient time for him, with time zones and everything," Konata said.

"You actually get up that early?" Kagami said. "Is that on a regular basis or something?"

"No, I don't get up early. I just don't sleep. I'm up all night playing games anyway." Konata actually hadn't stayed up all night to 'play games' for God knows how long. If she had time, she fit in a few minutes in the evening. "It all works out great, actually."

"Good for you, then," Kagami said.

Tsukasa giggled. "I don't know how you do it, Kona-chan. I'm always so tired, I could never stay up for an entire night to do anything."

"It's all about learning how to manage time," Konata told her. "I find other times to sleep. You know, time I can afford to waste without missing anything."

* * *

"Sleeping again, Izumi?"

Konata woke up at her desk so much that it had become routine. She didn't even have to take a minute to realize she was in school, in the middle of class (in this case, it was actually just homeroom), it was just how it always happened. She was more comfortable with her head resting on an open history textbook than a pillow.

"Sorry... Couldn't focus." She gave a silent thanks to the powers-that-may-be that Sensei hadn't whacked her on the head again.

"Honestly, Izumi. This is really starting to piss me off. Don't you even care that there's a test coming up next week?" Kuroi said.

"Huh...? What test?" Konata asked. There was a hint of mild surprise in her voice, but no real anxiety or fear.

Kuroi took a few moments to keep herself from going completely berserk. "Look, Izumi. I know you'll probably pull through on this one, like you always do, but could you at least humor me enough to pay attention during class once in a while?"

"I'll certainly try, ma'am. But I can't make any promises."

Not unexpectedly, Kuroi started another repetitive but fairly brief lecture about this being their senior year, the importance of doing their best in the final stretch of high school so that they could be accepted into college and eventually become a contributing member of society. As she finished, she added, "But Izumi, I can't even imagine what you're going to do someday. Have you put _any_ thought into this at all?"

"My, that's rather harsh, don't you think, Sensei?" Miyuki said.

"Nah. I figure someday my destiny will become clear. And when it does, I'll be ready to answer the call, and discover my true purpose in life," Konata said with a far-off expression on her face.

"Sounds fascinating. So you really haven't put any serious thought into your future, have you?" Kuroi said flatly.

"Well... no. Can't say I have."

To be more accurate, Konata couldn't tell them just what kind of future she did, in fact, have planned. Even if she wanted to.

* * *

Konata was regarding Miyuki strangely one day at lunch, just looking at her from across the table. It was another one of those days that they really didn't have anything new to talk about, so their table was quiet among the low chatter from other students.

"Is - is something wrong?" Miyuki said, noticing her stare. "Do I have something on me?"

"No, it's not that," Konata said. "I was just thinking. I've known you for almost three years now, and I still have never been to your house."

"Is that all? Well, I'm sure you could come over any time you wanted. I don't usually invite over company, it makes me feel like I'm being rather boastful..."

"Just like I thought! You must live in some huge mansion!" Konata's eyes lit up.

"Oh, it's really... It's nothing too impressive, really!" Miyuki was starting to blush as she tried to sound as modest as possible.

"I don't think I've ever seen where you live, either, Miyuki-chan," Tsukasa said. "It might be fun to visit sometime. If that's okay with you, I mean."

"How about today? After school, I mean. I don't have anything planned," Konata said. "That alright with you?"

"Hold on, there. You can't just invite yourself over to someone else's house like that," Kagami said. "Don't you have any moral values at all?"

"I wasn't just inviting myself," Konata said. "I was thinking all of us would go." She had that strange, mischievous grin on her face that she sometimes got. The expression that always seemed to put Kagami on edge. "'See Miyuki-san's house.' That's on my list of things to do before I die."

"Well, then, you've got some time, don't you?" Kagami said. "Why are you so interested in this all of a sudden, anyway?"

Konata ignored her. "So, we're all set for today after school. It's fine with you, right, Miyuki-san?"

"Um, yes... I suppose it's alright. I was expecting we would maybe go to your house, Konata-san, or maybe Kagami-san's and Tsukasa-san's house, but I'm certain Mother will be glad to have you over to visit."

"So Miyuki, do you have any maids or anything? Rich people always have maids. It's so cool!" Konata was leaning forward in her chair, a blissful expression on her face.

"Um, no... We don't have anything like that..." Miyuki said.

"Miyuki-san, you really put up with a lot," Kagami muttered. "I'm not sure how you can do it, and I really envy you for that..."

* * *

"Hey, Dad. We're going over to Miyuki-san's house after school today. Is that alright? ...Okay. I'll be home by then... Okay. Bye." Konata hung up. "I'm good to go."

They were standing outside the school, classes had just ended for the day. Tsukasa had just texted her dad, and now was examining Konata's cell phone as she waited for a response. She had noticed that weird design on it before. The black circle with the glow around it. She'd seen it on Konata's phone, but never anything else. It was a pretty cool logo, maybe for the company that made the phone or the service provider. "Hey, Kona-chan... I don't think I've ever seen a phone like that before. It looks really different."

"Oh, this? I've had it for a while... Yeah, it's a special model," Konata said. "I actually ordered it online, they don't sell it in stores."

"Really?" Tsukasa said. "What kind is it?"

"Um... It's just got some special features and stuff," Konata said. "I just like the feeling of having something rare and special, mostly."

"So how much extra did you have to spend to get those 'special features?'" Kagami asked. "It just looks like a normal phone to me. But I'll admit, I've never seen that logo on anything else before."

"Yeah, it's not that common of a service provider. It was a bit more expensive than most phones. But I think it's worth it."

"Come to think of it, isn't that the same kind of phone that Jason had?" Kagami said. "But yeah... other than the two of you, I've never seen it before. Is it an American company or something?"

"It's, uh... International, you could say. Jason was the one who told me about it, and after I saw his, I thought I wanted one too."

Tsukasa's phone beeped as she recieved a reply. She opened it to read the message. "Dad says it's okay if we go to Yuki-chan's house for a little bit... I guess we can get going now."

"So you're sure your parents are okay with it, Miyuki-san?" Kagami asked.

"Oh, yes. Mother enjoys having company over," Miyuki replied. "It's no trouble, really."

"Alright! Then what are we waiting for?" Konata seemed really excited to see Miyuki's house... Tsukasa wondered why that was. Maybe it was just the way that Konata was. She was such an interesting person, but that made it hard to tell what she was thinking sometimes. "You lead the way, Miyuki-san," Konata said.

* * *

They stopped in front of a huge house with a fancy and expensive-looking gate in front of the wide front yard. Kagami wondered if this could actually be where Miyuki lived, when she saw the plaque reading "Takara" on the wall and it confirmed that fact. Damn, this girl was beautiful, smart, _and_ rich as well? If she wasn't so goddamn nice, too, Kagami could hate her with a burning passion.

"We're here," Miyuki said. "Welcome!"

"S-seriously?" Konata said, staring at the house. "I had no idea it was going to be this big! This is incredible!" It kind of seemed like she might be overreacting, but it was really impressive.

They came up to the front door and Miyuki let them in. The interior was even more exquisite. The furnishing was in a Western style, which wasn't surprising, seeing how often the Takaras travelled overseas.

"Mother, I brought company over!" Miyuki called.

Yukari came to the door to greet them. "Oh, I wasn't expecting to have anyone over. I was even planning to clean up a little today, as well, but I got so distracted with other things that I completely forgot..." It was amazing how much she resembled her daughter. They shared the same kind of ditzy politeness and softspoken manner.

"This family..." Konata said, looking from Miyuki, to her mother, and back again, "Is totally awesome."

"Um, Yuki-chan..." Tsukasa said, looking around in wonder. "Would you mind showing us around? I can't believe we've never come over here before..."

"Sure, Tsukasa-san," Miyuki replied.

"You know, this place really is huge..." Konata said. "Maybe you should look into getting a maid service. That would be totally awesome!"

"I really wonder about you sometimes, you know..." Kagami said.

* * *

"Today another junior high school girl reported attempted assault. Local police have decided to step up efforts to patrol..." The evening news anchor continued on, explaining the latest in a recent string of crimes.

"Seriously, some people out there... They just..." Sojiro shook his head sadly.

There had been a number of stories such as that one on the news lately. Konata could never really tell what her dad was thinking about them. Shame? Jealousy...? Possibly a combination of the two?

"I've started to get a little worried going out by myself..." Yutaka said, still watching the screen. "With all these people around, you know..."

"Aren't you forgetting that we already live with one of 'those people,' Yu-chan?" Konata said, making a brief nod towards her dad. "Anyway, I'm not too worried. What really bothers me about this is how they always blame these kind of crimes on anime and games. It gives my kind of people a bad reputation."

"Exactly!" Sojiro exclaimed. "Just because somebody sees something in a game doesn't mean they're going to go out and try it in the real world!"

Konata couldn't be sure, but she wondered if he only said that because he didn't have access to giant mecha. He was definitely the type to go out and try things from his _other_ favorite genre, there was no doubt about that. How long was it until they caught him on the news...?

"But you're not worried about anyone trying to attack you or anything, Oniichan?" Yutaka asked.

"Of course not. Maybe you should start practicing martial arts, I think it could do you some good."

"M-martial arts?" Yutaka said, unsure how to respond. "I don't know... I don't think I'd be very good at something like that."

"But if anyone tries to lay a hand on either of you two... Well, they'll just have me to answer to!" Sojiro was clenching a fist, and getting pretty intense in that way that he had.

"Yeah, but you've probably got some other reason for saying that, don't you? I mean, other than the normal protective instinct." Konata knew her dad too well. He was just thrilled to get to live in a house with two small high school-age girls, and even more thrilled when they had friends over to visit. Sure, he genuinely cared for them, but he couldn't help his other passions.

* * *

It was a few days later, on a Saturday afternoon, when Kagami and Tsukasa came over to meet Yutaka for the first time.

"Hey! You made it!" Konata said as she greeted them at the door. She turned to call, "Hey, Yu-chan, come meet my friends!"

Yutaka arrived at the entryway a few moments later. Konata realized that, next to her cousin, she looked almost tall in comparison. Noticing that made her feel pretty good. It was another part of the big-sister role that she wasn't used to, even after nearly two months.

"Oh, you must be the ones Kona-chan always tells me about," Yutaka said. "I've heard so much about you! It's great to finally see you in person."

"We've heard a lot about you, too," Kagami said. "It's amazing that you're able to survive living with people like..." She glanced at Konata. "You know."

"You know, Kagami, you just have this really negative image of me..." Konata said. "Please don't shatter whatever expectations she has. That's all I've got. Anyway, how about you guys come on in?"

* * *

A few hours later, Konata was playing another RPG in her room, with Tsukasa and Yutaka watching, and Kagami reading one of the mangas off Konata's shelf. Konata had enough books in her room that it might as well be the public library, although without any actual novels or literature.

"You know, you should probably clean up in here once in a while..." Kagami said, looking around at those packed shelves, but also at the various games and manga scattered around the room. They were next to the bed, sitting next to the computer, a few were even stacked up on the floor against one of the walls.

Without turning from the game, Konata pointed at some game cases on top of the TV. "See those?"

"Yeah. That's kind of what I was talking about."

"No, that's not what I meant," Konata said. "Those are all unfinished games. RPGs, visual novels, all with tons of hours of gameplay. And before all of those are finished, you can bet that there'll be even more games released that I just can't let slip by. So, you see, Kagami, I simply don't have any time to clean up my room."

"Really? What about all the time you _don't_ spend on homework?"

Konata just grinned and went back to her game. The character onscreen was exploring a vast dungeon _(nothing compared to a real dungeon, though, Konata thought) _and had found a rare chest.

"Durandal? What's that?" Yutaka asked, interested.

"Let's see..." Konata checked the item stats and description. "Two handed sword, it's got some good power... Once wielded by the knight Roland. Interesting."

"See what it does," Tsukasa said.

Konata equipped the new weapon on her character. "Hm... I do like the larger swords. They're kind of hard to carry around, but if you can swing it you can do pretty significant damage. Most people just use the smaller, lighter blades just cause they're easier... or even guns, but those are kind of cheap. They just don't take the same level of skill and practice that a sword does."

"You're talking about games, right?" Kagami asked.

"Of course," Konata said.

* * *

"Hey, look at the time," Kagami said later. "It's going to get dark soon. We should get going, Tsukasa."

"Already?" Yutaka said, glancing at the clock, then at the window. "Oh... Well, feel free to come over anytime! It was fun meeting you two."

"Yeah," Tsukasa said. Turning back to Konata, she asked, "Are you doing something tomorrow, Kona-chan?"

_Tomorrow..._ "Actually, I've got to go to work tomorrow, it's a pretty long shift. Maybe another time?" Konata said.

"That sounds okay. I guess we'll see you on Monday, then?"

"Sure. I'll be there," Konata said. She was lying.

As Kagami and Tsukasa left, Konata thought about how they really did expect to see her again at school... It never crossed their minds that this would be the last time they ever saw her. She wished she could say something more to them, but if she wanted to keep her job, then nobody was supposed to know until it had already been done.


	15. Center of the Universe

May 21st.

It was looking to be another warm and sunny day, according to the weather report on TV. By that night, though, there would be some rain and a chance of storms. _Consider it some generic scene setting,_ Konata thought with some grim humor.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Konata had spent that day at home, just enjoying the time with her dad and Yutaka. Yui had come over to visit earlier, before she had to go on patrol for the day. Konata had already accepted what was going to happen today, and had had plenty of time to come to terms with it. She only regretted that nobody else could have the same chance. Although as the actual time came closer, she could feel her heart pounding and she could hardly sit still…

She was watching the clock, waiting until there was just enough time to get herself to Akihabara to go to work. She was waiting until the very last minute, and she would probably come in late. It seemed like that happened often enough. The manager might dock her pay if she did it again. Not that it would matter.

They were all gathered around the TV, watching some anime that had started a few weeks ago. Konata couldn't even keep track of what the plot was. Did anyone notice how different she was acting? If they did, neither her dad nor Yutaka showed it.

"Oh, it's that late already?" Konata, glancing up at the clock, tried to sound like she hadn't noticed until just then. "I guess I should be heading to work, then."

"Huh? That's right! You probably should have left a few minutes earlier, Oniichan," Yutaka said.

"You've gotta go already?" Sojiro said. "Okay, then. I guess we'll see you later. Be careful out there."

_Did you have to put it like that...?_ Konata hesitated for just a moment. "Um... yeah. I will. I'll see you later."

As she moved towards the front door, ready to leave, she stopped. For a moment she wondered if she should say something else to them. She considered it for just a few seconds, but couldn't think of anything. She stepped outside.

* * *

Chapter 15

In The Line of Fire, Someone Must Have Known

* * *

Konata was paying special attention to her route to work that day. It was the same way she went every day, and it was important that she didn't stray from her routine too much. Anything close to home probably wasn't a good idea...

She took the train into the city.

If she was taking the train now, and she had decided to pull this off somewhere in the city... Konata realized it might be a while before she _ever_ rode a train again. Such a basic part of her daily life that she'd be leaving behind. That began to put it all into perspective.

Konata continued on, walking through the crowded streets of Akihabara. She was beginning to see all these people as potential witnesses. It was weird. Maybe this part of town wasn't quite right... She'd see what it was like after dark once she left work. No need to worry about it until then.

But... There was every reason to be worrying about it, wasn't there?

_Pull yourself together,_ she thought to herself as she went up the stairway to the cafe. _People will notice if you're acting strange, especially after what happens. You have to act like nothing's wrong._

Easier said than done. What was there that she could focus on instead? Anything she thought of came back to the simple fact that she was leaving everything and everyone behind, and as she got closer to that crucial moment of action, it weighed even heavier than before on her.

"Hey, Konata-chan!" She looked up. Patricia Martin, that new exchange student from Yutaka's class. She was dressed in a pink waitress outfit, wearing a nametag that read "Mikuru."

"Patty-san. Hey," Konata said.

Patricia frowned. "Something wrong? You don't seem like yourself," she said.

"Nothing. Just a little exhausted, I lost track of time," Konata said. She tried to cheer herself up. Have some fun, after all, they were supposed to be entertainers. "So, you ready to go? Sunday's usually our busiest afternoon."

"Of course! You go ahead and get changed, I'll cover for you for a few minutes."

Konata went into the employees-only area in the back. First she put on her uniform - the basic sailor uniform for North High students.

If she ever wanted to wear this kind of uniform for real - to really go to school there, with characters thought by most people to be only fictional... That was what she was doing this for. It was the only way to achieve that dream, really.

Next she put on her red brigade leader sash, slipping it over her left arm. Finally she tied her yellow hair ribbon. Time to get into character - remember not to have any interest in the customers, they're all boring, ordinary humans.

How very,_ very_ true. Maybe work today would be easy.

* * *

The next several hours were just a regular shift of work. Konata, in her perfect imitation of Haruhi, yelled at her customers for being so boring and taking too long to order. She made a few threats of the death penalty. She kept an eye on Patricia, who kept just about all details about the menu "classified." That was what you got at this place, either Konata being rude or Patricia not telling you exactly _what _they were going to mix into your drink ("it's classified"). That girl who usually dressed as Yuki wasn't here today.

And, of course, they got up on stage to do their Hare Hare dance. Once Konata had completely perfected her imitation of Haruhi's voice, she had started singing live. It hadn't been easy, it had taken some serious conditioning - but she had the same voice actress, so it had to be possible. And the result was absolutely flawless.

"Konata-chan, you're so good at that," Patricia remarked after the show finished. "I heard the manager might give you a payraise for doing the live singing. Isn't that great?"

"Yeah... I guess so," Konata said. "Let's see, I just got my last paycheck the last time I came in to work... So I guess I can just get changed and leave."

"Okay. Good work today. When are you coming in next?"

_You'll find out soon enough..._ Konata thought. "I thought maybe I'd come in next weekend. I don't have anything planned."

"Sounds good. I'll see you then!"

_And Patricia, I'm really sorry if you have to go through a lot of police questioning, seeing as you're going to be the last one to see me alive... But you'll be okay, won't you?_

* * *

After getting changed back into her regular clothes, hanging the cosplay outfit back up in the closet, Konata left the cafe at closing time. As she stepped out into the street, the sky had already begun to darken and some distant rumbling of thunder could be heard, although it hadn't started to rain yet. The streets were a bit less crowded as a result.

"Seriously? Is a thunderstorm_ really_ necessary?" Konata muttered.

She knew what she had to do next. As soon as she found some out-of-the-way location to carry it out, she was going to do it. But she was getting nervous. She found herself wanting to put it off as long as possible.

Maybe the storm would be helpful, if it was clearing out the streets. In fact, now it was looking like the perfect crime. Konata shuddered. This was a part she really wasn't looking forward to, but it was necessary. Standard procedure, Jason had told her. Just something to get out of the way, to tie up the loose ends.

She looked around and saw the familiar sign for Gamers. Might as well say goodbye to her favorite store, just look around one last time. Take in all the sights, sounds, and smells.

The interior of the store was quiet today, except for the sound of the rain outside. Even as she wandered around inside the store, it had picked up in intensity. There were only a few other people looking around. It was getting late, so most people were headed home. Konata found the manga section, and began looking through one of them at random.

For a girl like Konata, healthy, young, not into much trouble (or so it seemed), there were only a few methods in which she could leave this world forever. Just disappearing and never coming back wasn't a good option - they would be searching for her for months, more likely years, convinced she was still out there somewhere. Whatever she did, she had to leave them some kind of closure. It wasn't easy on anyone, but eventually they'd move on... Konata kept telling herself that. They would move on, and so would she.

"Hey, it's really starting to come down out there." She looked up to see some guys by the front doors, looking out at the downpour that had just developed.

"Should we wait in here a while longer, you think?" another one of them said. "It's a bit of a hike to get back to the train station. It can't keep up like this much longer."

"You're right. Looks like most people aren't trying to walk through it." Some distant thunder could be heard now, just a low rumble.

Konata was just peeking out over the top of the book she had, pretending to read but actually watching the guys by the door and the streets outside. That was true, the sidewalks were almost empty now except for a few people sprinting for cover.

She put the book back on the shelf and went towards the door. "Seriously, it's just water," she said, looking at the group of boys. She pulled the hood of her jacket up and walked out.

* * *

There was an especially loud crash of thunder, followed by lightning that for a split second made the view out the window seem like daylight. Yutaka jumped at the sudden noise.

"Oniichan's still out there... Wasn't she supposed to come home by now?" she said.

"I wouldn't blame her if she wanted to wait for it to clear up," Sojiro replied, glancing at the window. "It can't go on like this much longer. But maybe I should call her, just to make sure."

It was times like this that Sojiro was glad that Konata had started to get into the habit of carrying her phone around. She hadn't always done that, and he used to find himself trying to call her only to hear the ringtone coming from her bedroom in response to his attempt.

But for some reason, he was feeling worried about something. There wasn't any reason to, it was just a storm. Konata was tough, something like this wouldn't bother her. She'd be home as soon as it slowed down. In fact, it was probably best that she wasn't trying to make it home in the middle of this.

Sojiro dialed his daughter's cell phone number, and listened to the ring on the other end of the line. Just give her some time to find it and answer...

She didn't. It went straight to voice mail. He didn't feel a need to leave a message, she was going to be home soon anyway. He kept reminding himself of that. Why did he need to? Why did it feel like there was a chance that...?

* * *

Konata saw her home number on the caller ID, the screen getting wet from the rain. Probably her dad, by this time she was late coming home and the storm was really picking up. If she answered, this would be her last chance to say anything to him.

What would she say? That she was on her way home, since that was obviously what he was calling about? That could only make it worse once she didn't show up. The best choice right now was to let it ring. She put it away for now, at least until she had to use it to travel. Out of her home world, for the last time.

She could do this.

* * *

"She... didn't pick up," Sojiro said.

Yutaka was frowning, and looking downwards. "But that doesn't mean anything, right?" she said, and then looked up at him. "Oniichan's alright. She has to be."

"Yeah..." His voice was quiet, and he certainly didn't sound as confident as he wanted to. "What time did her shift end? It was what, two hours ago, give or take a few? She'll be home any second now. Maybe she was on the train, and that's why she couldn't answer."

Of course, that had to be it. Konata was on her way back at this very moment. There was no reason to have this creeping sensation of dread, that something wasn't how it was supposed to be... There was no reason to worry. Once Konata came home, he'd have to remind her to call home if she was going to be late again.

It was silent except for the thoughts running around his head, so he turned on the TV to drown them out for a while. And Konata would be coming through the door any minute now. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

* * *

Finally, Konata had found the perfect spot. This alleyway was empty, nobody was around to see what she was about to do. It would seem like she had just tried to take a shortcut through here to get back to the train station quicker. And, with the weather being as it was, it seemed like a good enough excuse.

With nobody around, nobody was there to see her standing there, a gun in her hand, her hands turning it over and over as she leaned against the wall to collect her thoughts. This was a pretty drastic action she was about to take.

Jason had told her that it wasn't too late to change her mind. Even now, nobody here was expecting her to do this, and the Organization would understand if she decided not to go through with it. Wouldn't they? And standing here, about to end her old life forever, backing out didn't sound like such a bad idea at all.

She was thinking of her friends. Kagami, Tsukasa, Miyuki... How would they find out about this? Would they hear about it tonight, or would it be when they came to school tomorrow and Konata wasn't there...?

Her dad. He had already lost his wife. Sure, he seemed so goofy and cheerful, but there had always been a part of him that had never let go of that. Was she really going to make his life worse? Thinking of it that way, it just seemed so selfish to leave him behind alone...

True, he had Yutaka staying with him now. Not that she would take this much better. Living together for the past couple of months, Konata had really gotten close to her cousin. Yutaka looked up to her. To just leave like this...

But then again, Konata knew that this was what was best for her. She had no plans for college, or a regular job outside of Eclipse. This was what she was good at, and it gave her this feeling that she was accepted... Kagami always told her that devoting her whole life to anime and games was a waste, but what did she know? She'd never been outside of this world. She had no idea what the possibilities were.

You could even say that this was going to be even more painful for her than it was for anyone else. But in spite of that, she'd go through with it...

Konata stood there for some time, still holding the gun, staring at it. Just a common 9mm handgun. The fact that it was common was important. Konata usually preferred more powerful, specialized weapons, but those would seem suspicious, and most of the ones she used were nonexistent in this world.

The one thing that was for sure - she had to die. Well, it had to _appear_ that she had, at least. It was standard Eclipse procedure, leaving no question to everyone who knew her that she was gone and never coming back.

Hadn't she once been worried about this whole deal sending her to an early grave? Looking back, it had nearly happened once, back on that very first mission... She had been so concerned about what would happen to everyone at home if that happened, and now look what she was doing.

There had been a number of options considered for how she was going to die. At first she had thought it could just look like some accident, but there were surprisingly few ways to do that. Even if she had staged some fatal accident, wouldn't it look suspicious?

Eventually she had settled on this - a random murder, no witnesses. It was easy, if a little brutal.

Konata sighed. This was taking too long, and it wasn't getting any easier. Might as well just get it done with. She put the signal into the Talisman, and in a few minutes the doppelganger appeared in front of her.

It looked just like her - the same blue hair (black, to other observers), and on close inspection, the same outfit. Good. It was all set. The thing was a little creepy, though. It was a perfect clone of herself, created with magic to look just like her, for the sole purpose of being found dead to allow her to leave this world. It wasn't conscious, but it was still just barely alive. The green eyes stared dully ahead.

Konata inspected it for a few moments. It interested her. She took everything out of her pockets - her wallet, a pencil, some extra points cards for a store - and replaced them in her clone's pockets. As it stood there, unmoving, its gaze was starting to really freak her out.

Stepping back, and circling around behind it, she raised the gun, pointing squarely at the back of its head (_my head,_ she thought for a moment, then shook it off). Now it really was her last chance to turn around. Get rid of this thing, put the gun away, she could be back on the train within minutes and go back home...

Instead, she pulled the trigger.

The doppelganger fell to the ground, facedown in a puddle that had formed. Konata winced as she fired, despite having fired a gun countless times before. Her breathing had become strained and heavy. It didn't even bother her that it was kind of like she was shooting herself. Mostly it was just the simple finality of it. But there was no time to stand around. If anyone had recognized the sound of a gunshot, they'd be back here in a matter of minutes. And this would certainly be a strange sight.

Konata lowered the gun and looked down on the scene. They'd find this corpse back here, and upon observation (even lab tests and autopsy) it would be identified as her body. As a final touch, she left the fake cell phone by the body's hand. She'd be taking the real one with her, of course. She glanced at the head, it had fallen facedown. The bullet had left a gaping hole in the back of its skull, the hair was matted with blood and fell all around it...

After looking at the gruesome sight for a bit too long, she didn't waste any time warping out of her home universe. For the last time.

* * *

The rain on the windows slowed down, and within an hour it had stopped completely. The last thunderclap had been about three hours ago, and after that everything quieted down, both outside and in.

Four hours ago, Sojiro had called the police to file a missing person report. Konata wasn't answering any calls, and she still hadn't come home. This wasn't like her. They had told him that police had already been sent out, and were searching Akihabara and surrounding districts.

That had been four hours ago... Four hours, still nothing back. It was 2 in the morning and Konata was missing. He was still trying to convince himself everything was fine, but with each minute that seemed more and more unlikely.

"Yutaka..." he said, looking across the table at her. "Don't you think you should go to bed? You've got school tomorrow..."

"I know that..." Yutaka replied. She was staring down at the phone lying on the table, lying there dead and silent. "I can't sleep, though. I'm too worried."

"I know how you feel." Sojiro was feeling exhausted himself, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep even if he tried. "But... Konata's alright, I just know it. They'll find her."

They fell silent again for the next fifteen minutes or so, although it felt more like hours. There was still no response from the police. If anything was found, he had said he wanted to be called as soon as possible. So this just meant they had nothing.

It was then that they finally received the call, but any sign of hope or relief vanished when they heard Yui's voice on the other end, barely understandable through tears.

"U-Uncle Sojiro... They... found her."

For some strange reason, all Sojiro could think of right now was his wife.

* * *

Nobody questioned had heard the gunshot, or at least anyone who had was unfamiliar with the sound and thought it was another crack of thunder. Until the forensic investigations were complete, it couldn't be said when exactly the Izumi girl had been killed. Estimates placed the murder around 9 PM.

She had been found by another officer on the force, a little after 2 PM. She had been shot once in the back of the head, and appeared to have been killed instantly. A few inches from her hand was her cell phone, which had been dropped on the ground and no longer worked. The alleyway had been blocked off. The red police lights reflected on the wet ground.

Although Yui had been part of the search party, and also the one to call Konata's father, she didn't have the strength to come to the scene and see it for herself. Instead, she had gone back to her uncle's house, where they tried to come to terms with what had happened.

Other investigators were examining the scene, but no luck. The rain had stopped, but there still wasn't much evidence to go on. The wound seemed to be a basic 9 mm handgun. That was all they had to narrow it down, and plans to investigate illegal possession of firearms was being discussed. There was no apparent motivation to kill the girl, who seemed normal enough, with no real enemies. The body had been left where it fell, and no money or possessions had been taken. The lack of motivation made it only more disturbing.

By the next morning news of Izumi Konata's sudden and unexpected murder would become public.


	16. Fires at Midnight

"80 gold."

Joshua looked over the cards in his hand to look at Jason. "You sure about that bet? Sounds pretty steep."

"It's just gold." Jason shrugged. "Like you said, it's no fun if nothing's at stake." Joshua smiled and nodded at that. "And after we leave this world, it becomes kind of useless."

"And you and Konata are here for, what? Several months, at least, until the war is over. And believe me when I say 'several months _at least_.' It could go on for a couple years or more."

The old stone fort was shrouded in darkness, completely silent except for the two gambling partners who were keeping watch for any possible enemy movement, although the black armor of the Daein army provided adequate camouflage at this hour. The Greil Mercenaries, a small band of just under twenty soldiers total (and "soldiers" was a loose term), were camped out here, as they escorted the last surviving member of the Crimean royal family to the neighboring nation of Gallia. Jason had just a cursory understanding of the entire conflict between Crimea and Daein, but Konata was an avid Fire Emblem fan, and for the past week had been telling them just what was going to happen next.

Not that they were here for the complicated political situation. Once Ike's mercenary band had accepted how young both Konata and Jason were (not that it was even unusual for this world), they had realized their value, both in combat and in training. And, in Konata's case, even tactics. Apparently, arranging all those raids and battles in games had made her something of a prodigy.

For the time being, no soldiers were sighted, it was the middle of the night, there was no clock to tell just how long until morning, and Joshua had decided to pass the time by playing a few hands of cards. And of course there was money at stake, otherwise it just wouldn't be interesting.

"Speaking of Konata, where'd she go off to this time?" Joshua asked.

"Out training. Excuse me, 'grinding,' as she calls it," Jason replied. "If it keeps her in a good mood, it's fine by me. You know how it is when you leave your home world."

As a matter of fact, Joshua had taken this assignment because, being from a different Fire Emblem universe, this one was at least close to being home. He still wore the black clothing typical to Jehanna, his home nation that was unheard of in this place. As for Konata and Jason, they had taken this particular assignment - Konata's first full-time mission - just out of what was available at the time. Konata only seemed to like taking missions in worlds she was familiar with, anyway.

"So she's out again... So when was the last time she stayed in one universe for at least 24 hours?" Joshua asked. "If even for that long."

"Oh, that's not a problem for her. It's more like she can't go... 48 hours without going outside somewhere."

Joshua smiled at that. "Yeah, come to think of it, that sounds about right." He glanced out over the moonlit fields. This old fort was located in a fairly large clearing, with thick forests and jungles all around. No need to worry about Daein soldiers in those, they were far too difficult for a fully equipped army to trek through. "When does she find time to sleep? It's just impossible to go so long without any rest."

"Not for her," Jason said. "It's willpower, mostly."

Joshua nodded. "Shoulda known. Anyway, why'd she go out, anyway? I thought she said she was going to help on watch duty tonight."

As he said that, Konata reappeared a few meters away. Even through the darkness, Jason could see an unfamiliar blade strapped on her back. Really, it was hard to miss, because it was absolutely massive, nearly as long as she was tall.

"So what'd you find this time?" he called over.

"Check this out." She had that grin again. Actually, it seemed it had been a while since she had gotten that mischievous expression. It was good to see it again. She reached behind to pull the sword out of its sheath, and as she did, it erupted in flame. "The legendary blade Laevateinn... I've been looking for this for days. It's one of the rarest items in the game!" Referring, of course, to that old MMO she used to play all the time. And, in a way, still did.

Jason turned over to his companion. "So... Flaming swords. What's the verdict?"

Joshua squinted as he looked at it, and rubbed his chin. "I'd say... Probably not."

"Huh?" Konata looked at him.

"I've never seen anything like that in this world. Even if someone did have a sword like that, it would be a priceless treasure, most likely bestowed by the gods themselves. Not to mention you'd get a nasty reputation using that in battle. So, no."

Konata had walked over next to their game of cards, and set Laevateinn down into the dusty ground by her feet, her hand on the hilt, while the dirt around the blade blackened from the heat. "So... I can't use it? That sucks."

"You can't use it _here._ But, say, we go somewhere where that kind of thing is more common, and you can just go crazy," Jason told her.

She sighed as she put the sword back in the sheath, and it vanished completely as she held it. "Back to the normal iron and steel, then. Anyway, did I miss anything? No attacks?"

Joshua laughed. "Does it look like it? You're just fine."

Then they all heard a noise, which had almost become unfamiliar over the past week, spent entirely in this fantasy medieval universe. The unmistakable sound of a cell phone ringing.

"That yours?" Konata said, looking at Jason.

He had already taken it out, and looked at the caller ID. He frowned, hesitating briefly before looking back up at her. "It's Kagami."

Konata said nothing for a moment, the grin disappearing again as she remembered, then, "I... figure I should know what this is about, shouldn't I... Go on and take it. You should probably step out, though."

"Right." Jason quickly stood up and started towards the forest.

* * *

Chapter 16

All That I Had Known Of This Place

* * *

Jason walked out of the fortress, heading down a set of steps as he headed for the woods. He took a deep breath before answering the phone. This was going to be difficult.

"Hey, Kagami. Haven't heard from you in a while." He tried to sound cheerful. He continued walking into the forest, finding some isolated spot where one could talk on a twenty-first century cell phone in the middle of an ancient feudal society. Thank God for Eclipse's absolutely _outstanding_ coverage.

"Yeah... Sorry. There's just been a lot going on around here..." Her voice was different. Tired. Sad.

"You don't sound too good. Is something wrong...?" The hard part wasn't trying to act like he knew nothing, it was much worse knowing that he was at least partly responsible for it. But Konata had made that choice on her own, even requested that she herself carry out her own (faked) murder. If she had all those weeks to think about it in advance, she must have been serious.

"Just like I thought... Nobody told you, did they?" Kagami's voice was growing fainter, and it had already started out much more flat and emotionless than her usual self. "About..."

"What happened?" Jason was now taking on a more serious tone. He at least thought it sounded convincing.

"I... I really don't know how to say this... Konata was..." She hesitated briefly. "She was murdered."

Jason took a few moments of pause for dramatic effect, before responding, "What...? That... can't be true. I mean, I haven't heard from her in a while, but I figured..."

"It was about a week ago. She was coming home from her job. You know, at the cafe in the city? It was really late at night... Someone shot her. None of us even heard about it until we got to school... The principal called an assembly and told us what happened." It was obvious how hard it was for Kagami to say these things.

"I can't believe this..." Jason said, still hoping it sounded honest. The worst thing he could do now was come off sounding like a bad actor. Kagami really believed her best friend was dead, how would she react if it sounded like he wasn't even concerned?

Apparently she believed it, though. "I figure the worst part is that they don't even have any suspects... This guy... Whoever did it, they're still out there somewhere. And can you believe there wasn't even any motive? I heard that Konata still had her wallet and all her money, when the police..." Her voice trailed off.

"I really wish I could do something for you," Jason told her. And he could, if he really wanted to, but at the risk of getting both himself and Konata fired... No matter how hard it was, he had to keep up this act. Kagami still thought that he was in the same world as her, in a suburban home in Vermont instead of out here in -

Realizing that, he noticed something else. "Come to think of it... what time is it over there in Japan? Isn't it the middle of the night for you?"

"Yeah, it's about..." There was a pause, as Kagami apparently checked a clock somewhere. "It's about five in the morning. Don't worry, it's not like I'm even able to sleep much lately. I was already awake, and I suddenly remembered you. And, also, I wasn't going to say this, but I... I knew about you and Konata. I just didn't say anything."

Now here was something confusing. Obviously she wasn't talking about what first jumped to Jason's mind, if she knew the truth she wouldn't sound so depressed. "What do you mean...?"

"I knew what you guys were doing. Pretty much from the start, actually... I just never said anything. You guys were... dating, weren't you?"

* * *

Konata was leaning against the wall, staring out into the night. Kagami had called. Of course. From her point of view, she thought Jason was still living in the same world. She should have known that one of her friends would be calling at some point... Konata had blocked everyone's number from her own phone, just in case they dialed her number on accident or something, but they found the fake phone broken at the crime scene, so it's not like they would try anyway...

Mostly Konata tried not to think about home. It _wasn't_ her home, not anymore.

Even so... She had decided she _did_ want to hear about the conversation, whenever Jason got back. At least know what was really going on back there. All that chaos that she had undoubtedly caused. But it had been necessary.

This was where she was supposed to be. Konata had settled on that fact, accepted it, and told herself not to question a decision that had already been made and could never be taken back.

Joshua had taken the north side of the fort, leaving her here watching the south. Nothing was moving out there, she had no distraction from her thoughts...

A faint glint of something.

Enemy armor?

On closer inspection, Konata could see movement out there. Eventually the orange glow of a torch, and around it a small band of soldiers in the black uniforms of Daein. She couldn't see much detail, but they had stopped moving. Maybe they were discussing something...

Still glancing over her shoulder, she circled around the center structure of the fort, within the inner wall. Her pace quickened.

"Joshua. They're here. Wake everyone up."

"They found us?" He had nearly been falling asleep.

"I don't know. I couldn't tell if they know someone's here..."

"Gotcha. We'll take position, but we won't strike first. Could you tell how large the force is?"

"They at least have more men than we do."

"Ha. No surprise there." Joshua hesitated. "Is Jason still out there? Talking to that friend of yours?"

Konata had been doing her best to get that out of her mind, but there it was again. "Yeah... He hasn't come back yet. Listen, you go get everyone ready. I'll stay out there and keep an eye on them."

Returning to her post, Konata could see that no further movement had been taken so far. As long as they were in sight, it was too early to relax, but even so, Konata couldn't focus on the upcoming battle. She tried desperately to divert her mental energy to coming up with a battle strategy.

* * *

Jason couldn't believe what he had just heard. Had Kagami just suggested...?

So she had noticed that Jason and Konata had been spending a lot of time alone together. Obviously Kagami would never assume what was_ really_ going on, so this wasn't too bad of a guess. Really there was no problem if she wanted to think that way. Hearing it had caught Jason off guard, though.

He had finally reached a suitably remote point in the woods. The cover of the trees blocked out just about all of the moonlight. It was pitch black except for the faint glow of the phone's backlight. It was risky, there was so much risk of tripping on a vine or a rotted tree stump, but getting out a flashlight would open him up to possible discovery. Enemy or not, it didn't matter when you were using modern conveniences here.

"...Hello?" Kagami said, waiting for a response. "You're still there, right? I'm sorry..."

"I'm still here," Jason replied.

"I didn't want to let either of you know that I had it figured out, since you were doing so much to keep it secret... But now that she's gone... I thought I'd let you know. Don't worry. I'm not jealous or anything. Now that she's gone... There was no way to know that this would happen, how little time she had left, so... Now I'm actually glad she had you. Oh, and sorry if I'm making this awkward for you..."

"N-no, it's okay. Really," Jason replied. He'd never really seen Konata that way, but if Kagami wanted to believe that, she could just go ahead. It was better than explaining the truth. "Hey, so how has everyone else been doing? I can't even imagine what it must be like back there."

Kagami stopped as she thought for a moment, deciding where to start. "Well, Tsukasa's pretty much terrified of going into the city anymore. I suppose I don't blame her. It's safe as long as you stay with the crowds, Konata was alone when it happened, but still... And Tsukasa was the one who first became friends with Konata. Back at the beginning of our first year at Ryoo. They were always so close." Kagami gave a short, quiet laugh, then said, "Remember the Athletic Festival? Tsukasa was working so hard with her, trying to prepare for it. I think she really looked up to Konata."

"Too bad it didn't work out," Jason said, remembering how that had gone. He had really come pretty far with these girls. When he first took the assignment in that world - it wasn't a request, it had been completely against his will - he was dreading that year, in a boring universe, with nothing going on. And here he was, actually wishing he could go back for at least a day. Maybe once it was summer there, then he'd visit again. "What about Miyuki?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, she hasn't really been herself lately..."

"It sounds like none of you have."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But I've never seen Miyuki break down like this. She usually keeps her calm so well. I guess we're all just scared. It could... happen again." There was a note of fear in Kagami's voice that really didn't sound like her.

"You're right. I never would have thought something like that could happen to Konata..." Which was the truth, though not in the way Kagami thought, Jason reminded himself. Even after just a year of training, Konata was nigh invincible. It would be impossible to sneak up on her like they had made it look. "Hey, if you ever need to talk to someone, don't hesitate to call me. I'll be here."

"Thanks."

* * *

There. They were moving towards the fort. Just like she had thought... and, Konata realized, she almost hoped they would. That was almost sick, really, hoping that the enemy would attack their position, putting everyone in mortal danger.

"Konata. Is it Daein?" She turned around to see Commander Ike, already decked out for battle. Blue hair wasn't so rare in this world, Ike's spiky hair was a shade identical to Konata's own. His tattered red cape blew gently in the breeze behind him.

"It looks like them. Is everyone ready?" Konata could see they still hadn't lit any torches. A good strategy, they could at least take advantage of the cover of darkness. Despite the sorry state of the fortifications, they still had the advantage of defending rather than attacking.

"Yeah. So, do you have a plan?" Ike was looking at her solemnly. He had started asking her straight out for suggestions on the battle plan.

"Well, we've got a few entrances on this side. It looks like they're coming straight on, so put our best men on this side," Konata said. She gestured to the doorways in the crumbling, moss-covered walls. "Princess Elincia is inside, correct?"

"Of course. Preferably we'll be able to keep her out of sight. It's best if they never see that she's travelling with us."

"We should probably have someone right in front of the entrance to the central building. Staying inside the walls. Just one person, send everyone else to guard the outer entrances."

Ike lifted his sword over his shoulder. "I'll hold the inner gate, then. You take the main entrance, Konata."

The main gate? "Seriously...?"

"You're already fully prepared for battle. Everyone else still needs a few minutes to wake up. So you take the front gate. You, Joshua, and... hey, where's Jason?"

Konata was again reminded of Kagami's phone call. "Jason... stepped out for a bit. He said he wouldn't be long."

"What? Where could he be going this late at night? This doesn't make any sense!"

"Uh..." Konata couldn't think of an excuse right now. Too much going on. "He... didn't say. He just said he'd be back soon."_ But would he?_

Ike sighed, and turned to take his position. He hurried off around the front of the building, leaving Konata alone for the moment, waiting for the rest of the troops to come around and help her. At least the enemy forces were still away from the entrance. As they came closer, Konata could begin to see it was a small force. Only about a hundred or so...

An army of a hundred? Konata smiled. No problem for someone who had grown up in the Tokyo suburbs.

* * *

Kagami, sitting at the desk in her darkened room, looked at her watch.

"Oh, I just realized the time... We've been talking for a while now, haven't we?" she said. And talking to Jason again had, in fact, made her feel a little better. Still, she hated being the one to tell him such bad news. Really, his girlfriend, already halfway around the world, had just been killed... That had to be tough. She couldn't even relate, not really.

"Really?" He paused. "Heh, you're right. You should probably be getting ready for school by now, shouldn't you?"

"Yeah. Even with how crazy it's been around here, we still have to keep going on like nothing happened." Maybe that was the worst part, just having to ignore it. "So... I'll talk to you again sometime."

"Sure, sounds good... Anytime."

"Uh... Goodbye, then."

"Bye." She heard him hang up on the other end.

Closing her phone, she set it down on the desk and stared at it for a while. Not much else to do. She had to use her cell because she didn't even remember his number. It was just stored in her phone's memory, so she had used that.

It had been awfully quiet back on Jason's end. Usually when you called a cell phone, there was some sort of background noise, and without it there was a feeling that something was missing. She hadn't heard anything other than...

Had it been crickets?

But right now, it was just the middle of the afternoon back in Vermont, unless her concept of time zones was completely off. It was kind of weird, she would have expected to hear other people talking, maybe cars or something if he was outside... But no.

She didn't think too much of it. Who knows what he was doing? They had only been talking about how things were going back here in Japan, he hadn't said anything about where he was or what was going on in his own life. Just like it had always been, actually... Even when he was going to Ryoo with them he had never mentioned much about his old school or even his family.

Kagami decided to talk more about his life, next time they talked. She didn't even know who any of his friends back home _were._

She looked up at the bulletin board over her desk. It was covered with photos, some of them several years old, the oldest ones from back in middle school, and the newest from just a couple months ago. Only one with Jason and everyone else, but... Konata was in over half of them.

Even for a crazy, obsessed otaku with a serious detachment from reality... She'd been a really good friend.

* * *

Knights were usually the easiest to take out.

Carrying a huge steel lance and weighted down with heavy armor, these unmounted soldiers weren't designed for speed, only attack power and defense. Still not much good against magic users, but someone with the proper skill to manage all of that heavy gear could still be a valuable part of an army.

Not so with this one. As Konata ran towards him, kicking off the wall to launch herself into the air above his head, he barely even had time to register that she had landed behind him before a few quick slashes to the back finished him off.

"A shame you can't do that in turn-based combat..." Konata mused.

She considered her own class to be myrmidon and/or swordmaster, most likely leaning towards the second, higher-ranking position. Her fighting style, while she tried to maintain a balance, focussed on speed rather than pure power or defense. It didn't matter if you were able to avoid taking hits and get in multiple strikes yourself.

"No time to stop," Joshua said. "There's more on the way."

The torches mounted on the walls were still unlit, intending to cause difficulty for the invading army but also hindering the mercenaries at the same time. Konata turned and saw the gleam of a lance coming - invisible until seconds before it would hit. Dropping her sword on the ground, she grabbed it by the handle, inches above the point, and pulled. The soldier lost his balance, tumbling off his horse, who galloped away into the darkness. Konata rammed the blunt end of the spear into his helmet, and, satisfied with the lack of movement, picked up her sword again.

Joshua was to her left now, fighting some foot soldiers. None of them could seem to hit him, he shifted mere inches away from their blades moments before they came down, and responded with a quick stab of his own.

The two of them were holding this entrance all by themselves. And, as Konata realized, they were exactly the kind of character you weren't supposed to use in a Fire Emblem game: overpowered, taking on all the enemies single-handedly, depriving other units of experience.

But there were no experience points here, and everyone else was quite busy enough. You had to adjust your tactics to fit the reality of combat.

Hearing the footsteps coming up behind her, Konata whirled around and dashed forward at the black-robed mage, finishing him off before he could initiate a spell.

But even in the thick of battle, she realized she was still unable to get her friends from home out of her mind. Jason still hadn't come back, most likely he was still talking to Kagami... Konata wondered if she even _wanted_ to hear what they had been discussing. It couldn't be anything good.

She almost lost her concentration, another mounted soldier was dashing towards her. She braced herself for the next clash.

* * *

Having finished the conversation, and now slowly working his way through the pitch-black forest, walking almost entirely blind, Jason began to hear the unmistakable sound of steel on steel, magical lightning strikes, frantically yelled commands in the midst of conflict.

"Perfect. Just what we needed," he said to himself.

Summoning a battleaxe in his hand, the brief flash of white light illuminated the area. In the split second of light, he could see that he was not alone. A figure in a dark cloak stood several feet away.

As the darkness returned, even darker after the momentary flash, he called out to whoever it was. "Who are you?"

A voice responded, female, but muffled: "I'm on your side."

"Very well..." This was getting interesting. Might as well trust her for now, he could hold his own if she turned on him.

The figure lit a torch, providing some light. Her face was still concealed under the hood, but she carried no weapons or magic tomes that he could see. Perhaps she was telling the truth, she was a friend... But in war, you could never be too trusting in a situation like this.

"You're not worried about being seen?" Jason asked. "No doubt Daein's got these woods surrounded."

"Nope. Let 'em come. We'll deal with them," the figure responded.

"So confident. And you're just going to keep that hood up?"

"Sure, why not? I like the mysterious look." Something about her was familiar. She seemed to be dropping her guard, possibly stepping out of an act. "You're supposed to be guarding the old fort over there, right?" She lifted an arm to point.

"Yeah."

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, curious.

"Long story, I can't really explain at the moment," Jason said. He hadn't come up with a cover story yet. It would have been a good idea to have been thinking of that... "We should really be heading back."

"Sounds good to me. I'll lead the way."

Following the light of the torch she carried, Jason followed her. Just how far had he gone into the woods, exactly? He hadn't been paying attention, if this person hadn't showed up with a light, he could have been lost until the sun rose. That phone call had distracted him, he hadn't been thinking of the most basic survival plans... This probably wasn't a coincidence, this girl - whoever she was - showing up like this, nothing was 'just a coincidence'. Who _was_ she, anyway?

* * *

"Oh... Konata. There you are." Turning to look at the timid voice, she saw it was Rhys. A young, orange-haired priest who served as their field medic, healing injuries with his staff.

"Yeah. We're doing just fine here. How's everyone else?" Konata asked. Rhys would have been making the rounds, in the inner circle of the fort, healing the fighters without stepping into harm's way himself. Her usual tactics for healers was to keep them within the inner circle of fighters, in the second or third line from the front, and it worked as well in real life as it did in games.

"It appears the defense is going as you planned. No casualties to report," he said, trying to smile. Fighting bothered him, he was a true pacifist, but Konata appreciated how he was able to look past that and focus on helping them win each skirmish.

"Good... Listen, we're completely okay. No injuries here. You go help someone else."

"Absolutely!" He hurried off towards the east entrance. In that direction, Konata could see the faint colors and shapes of Shinon and Gatrie, some of the other mercenaries, holding their own at their assigned location.

She had almost looked away for too long, she barely had time to hear the footsteps coming up behind her -

A flash of an axe blade in the air above him, and the attacking swordsman fell.

"Jason! There you are!" Konata said. The impatience was obvious in her tone.

"I'm not late, am I?"

She looked over at his companion, who remained silent. "No, we've only been fighting for about an hour and a half so far."

"That long?" He sighed. "Sorry."

The cloaked figure was already holding her own against the waves of attackers, lightning shooting from her fingertips. So she was a mage. And she hadn't been lying about being a friend. That was about all he knew about her.

"Who is that, anyway?" Konata asked, nodding her head in the direction of the new ally.

"No idea..." Jason said.

"Listen, once we're done here..." Konata hesitated before continuing. She raised her head up, looking straight into his eyes, trying to muster up some confidence. "I want to know everything Kagami told you, alright?"

"Sounds good," he said. "Until then, I've got some making up to do."

It was still going to be another hour or so before this siege was finished. They were coming from all sides now. Konata and Jason stood guarding each other's backs, weapons raised, ready for more.

* * *

Finally, the last sounds of metal clashing with metal had died down. The sky was beginning to glow a dim orange as the sun prepared to rise. And, to her surprise, Konata was actually feeling a little fatigued after this battle.

Commander Ike came towards them from inside the walls of the fort. "We're all clear," he said flatly. "Regroup inside."

Konata looked around. Only herself, Jason, Joshua, and... whoever that other girl was, the mage in the brown cloak. Her voice sounded familiar for some reason. Dead soldiers laid on the ground... She could see that none of them were faces she recognized, and they all wore the same black armor. There was some grim satisfaction, which she had grown accustomed to over the course of the last seven days, knowing that another battle had been survived. For the time being, this was her lifestyle, her home.

"Well? You heard the man," Joshua said, putting his sword back into its sheath. "We're meeting back inside."

As they climbed the short flight of steps up into the center of the fort, Konata turned to their new ally. "Hey, good work out there. I appreciated the help."

"You weren't so bad yourself, Konata."

"Wha -?" How did this girl know who she was? Ignoring that for now, she joined the small crowd of mercenaries. Everyone here was accounted for. Another successful fight with no casualties. Mia looked a little beat up - she was that purple-haired myrmidon girl who had joined a few days ago. Although there were no strictly-defined classes in the real world, Konata still used them mentally, to help herself stay organized.

"Everyone gather all the supplies we can carry," Ike said, addressing the entire band. "We're leaving here as soon as possible and heading out for Castle Gallia. And please, move quickly."

He stepped down, walking through the crowd. As he passed the girl in the cloak, he stopped. He looked at her strangely for a moment, not recognizing her as someone he knew.

"I'm sorry, you are -?"

"I'll be leaving now. I'll see you all again, I'm sure of it." Apparently she was trying to sound dark and mysterious, but there was evidence of trying too hard in the way she said it.

"I... I see." Ike wasn't sure how to react, so he continued on to help gather weapons and rations for the next march.

The sun was rising now, casting an orange glow over everything. As the cloaked figure left, she motioned to Konata and Jason, apparently to come follow her away from the rest of the troops. They both received the hint and trailed after her, stopping just inside the edge of the woods.

"So you were using magic. Lightning, correct?" Jason said. "And... Not using a spellbook, I noticed."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"By the rules of this world, magic can only be performed with the proper spellbook in hand, or a staff for certain other non-offensive spells. To be casting spells with your bare hands, you must be quite gifted indeed. Or perhaps..."

"Crap, _seriously?_ Why didn't you tell me while we were still fighting?" She took down her hood, finally showing her face. The familiar ice-blue hair and dark red eyes. Ayanami.

"Rei? What're you doing here?" Konata asked in shock.

"Well, I intended to come practice the new spells I just learned, but apparently I'm not allowed to do that here..." Rei said, glaring at Jason.

"I thought you were more into piloting mecha. What are you doing with magic all of a sudden?" Konata asked.

Rei was grinning. "Sure, I still do a lot of stuff for NERV, but on the side I've been trying to learn other stuff too. I figure I might as well have some fun, as long as I've got access to other worlds."

"But what's with the whole getup? Just for fun or something?" Jason asked her.

"Like I told your commander, I'm not staying with the rest of the army. I've got school to go to. I'll just drop in for a battle whenever it's convenient, I thought it was best to remain faceless. Mysterious, all that," Rei said, shrugging. "I didn't expect to see you guys here, though. So how do you get back home, Konata?"

"Um..." Konata was looking down. "Actually, I'm... not anymore."

"You mean...?" Rei's eyes were widening, as she stared at Konata's regretful expression. "I get it. So you're going full time now, just like Jason."

She was staring off, not looking at either of them. "And I don't think I'd recommend it, either. At least, I'm still adjusting." She lifted her head to look at Rei. "For the time being, anyway."

"Hmm..."

Jason spoke up. "By the way, Konata, you were asking earlier about my phone call."

"That's right!" Konata wasn't sure whether to be excited to hear from her old world, or depressed that it would only ever be second hand. "So... what did she have to say?"

"It's not so good. I've never heard Kagami act like that... I guess everyone's really shook up by the whole thing. She said nobody heard about it until the day after at school. I guess the police didn't find your body until about two in the morning."

Rei cut in. "Found her body...? What's _that_ all about?"

"I had to fake my own death in order to leave," Konata explained. "Yeah... pretty tough. So what else?"

"Well, mostly they're worried about finding the killer." A grim smile came across Jason's face. "I hope they don't arrest anyone... People are still on edge about the whole deal. They still think 'he's' out there, waiting for another victim. That should all die down in after a while, though."

"This all sounds like it turned out perfectly, then," Rei said.

"Do you mind?" Konata said. "I can't believe I did this to everyone..."

"It's too late now. You made your choice." They all fell silent for a while. Some voices could be heard from the direction of the camp, too far away to be understood. "And there was... something else, that I wasn't expecting."

"Huh?" Konata turned back to look at him.

"Yeah. Kagami apparently noticed how close we were getting, how it seemed like we were spending so much time alone together..." He almost laughed, an awkward expression was coming into his face. "She thought we were dating."

"What? No... No, we're not like _that,_ right?" Konata said. "I mean, we're just... friends. And we work together. You're like my mentor or something."

"Right. But I still went along with it, just because she was completely convinced, but... Nothing like that's going on."

"It's not?" Rei said. When they both turned to look at her, she quickly added, "I mean, I kind of wondered, but... I didn't really think... that... Never mind."

"Back on the subject..." Konata said, waving her hand, "Everyone's... so upset, and there's no reason for it... We really can't tell them any of the truth, can we..." She sighed.

"Don't say I didn't warn you it could turn out like this," Jason said. "Besides, it's only been a week. It's still such a shock to them. They'll all get better over time... You will, too."

"Only a week..." Konata repeated. She stopped, realizing something. "A week since... I died... Left, I mean... Since May 21st..."

"What is it?" Rei asked.

"So it's May 28th in that world now..." Jason said, starting to nod. "I get it now."

"It's my eighteenth birthday today. Technically." Konata was starting to smile a bit, her old familiar cat grin that nobody had seen for what seemed like ages. "I'm old enough to play all those hentai games now. Not that it ever stopped me before, but still. And I'm not even home to celebrate it... That's a shame."

"You play _what?_" Rei said, shocked.

"Yeah, I've never understood it either," Jason said.

Konata ignored them, they were unenlightened. "I just hope... that nobody had anything planned for me. Back home."

"Well, it's not much, but I suppose... I could look for somewhere that you could practice using Laevateinn. After all, something like that requires a different sort of skill than a regular sword. You'll need some practice with it. I'll help you," Jason said.

"Right, I almost forgot about that... That would be great!" It was good to see Konata so cheerful again. It was like her old enthusiasm had returned.

"I still don't know what's going on. What's that part about?" Rei said.

"Konata found a flaming sword," Jason explained.

"Is that all?" Rei said. "Heh, I should really be used to this sort of thing by now. How do you get all the cool stuff before I do?"

"I have finely honed instincts when it comes to rare items. I find all sorts of stuff like that," Konata said proudly. "Jason, if you could really find somewhere that I could practice with it, I'd really be looking forward to that."

"No problem. So Rei, when are you going to be back?" Jason asked.

"If you ever have a battle coming up, just call me. I'll be sure to find one of those spellbooks you were talking about... I dunno, can I just use it as a prop or something? I'd really just like to use my regular magic. It took forever to learn."

"That's fine..." Jason said. "But really, we have to call you? Do you realize how hard it is to take a phone call in this world? Phones aren't even supposed to exist here."

"God, so many rules..." Rei said. "Anyway, I should really be heading back now. You're here for...?"

"However long it takes to end the war," Jason finished.

"It was nice seeing you again, Rei," Konata said. "You're heading back to go to school then? Have fun with that."

It was probably also time for the two of them to get back to camp and help pick up. They had to physically haul everything on the marches, magic couldn't be used here to transport anything. They were roughing it. It was part of fitting in with this world. Maybe it wasn't so bad, getting to fit in somewhere like this, though. And then, when all was finished, moving on somewhere completely different, starting a new, albeit temporary life there...

Whatever the next world would be, fantasy, futuristic, or even what Konata would consider present-day, she was looking forward to it all the same. There would barely even be time to consider this world boring and routine before she'd be in the next one, and the one after that, and everything that would come after that.

And it was always good to be somewhere that you were considered useful. Making some new friends - acquaintances, really, she'd have to leave them behind anyway. But really, the best part was not having to worry about being prepared for the future. No pressure to settle down or get a job, she was already powerful enough to keep working this job at a fairly relaxed pace, having whatever funds were necessary provided for her.

She would get used to this.


	17. The Stand

The following months seemed to follow a pattern. Several days of marching. The occasional skirmish with small bands of Daein soldiers. Large-scale battles were rare. The mercenaries had moved out of Gallia and into the more civilized nation of Begnion, an ally of Crimea who was very hospitable to the resistance. The other soldiers seemed impressed upon entering the capital city, Sienne, although compared to Konata's memories of Tokyo it wasn't very densely populated at all. Still, the architecture was beautiful - the Tower of Guidance was visible from virtually anywhere in the capital, seeming to touch the sky.

They stayed in Sienne for a while. Ike was given command of the newly-formed Crimean army - mostly troops loaned by Begnion - in the war against Daein, uniting the beast nations with the humans. Konata had seen all this before. She concerned herself mainly with the daily lives of the soldiers, the kind of stuff you didn't get to see when you played the game.

Rei still showed up occasionally. She fought in probably half of the battles, maybe a few less than that. It was always a help when she showed up. She was continuing her act as the "mysterious cloaked figure," at times giving a really melodramatic performance if she remembered to stay in character at all. And she was carrying a spellbook now, just to fit in when she used her lightning spells, although she didn't actually use the book to cast them. Mostly, Konata enjoyed having Rei talk about going to school, it was like having a link to the modern world. Even if Rei was from several years in the future from Konata's "modern world."

And, speaking of links to the modern world... Jason still got the occasional phone call. He had to keep his phone silenced during the days, or on nights when someone unaffiliated with Eclipse was on watch with them, but it never seemed to be a problem. Kagami called most often, Tsukasa had called on a few occasions... Even Miyuki had talked to him once.

As the months went on, news from the Lucky Star universe had gotten better. Konata had trained her mind to stop referring to it as "home." From what Jason told her, her friends all seemed to be moving on as well. They rarely mentioned Konata anymore, but that was understandable. It was better if they weren't just moping around. And - this was the part that Jason seemed a bit annoyed by - they had started asking more about his own life.

"So what have you been telling them?" Konata asked one day. "Obviously you can't tell them what you're _really_ doing right now."

It never snowed this much in Tokyo. It usually didn't snow this much outside of Earth's polar ice caps, as a matter of fact. They had crossed Daein's borders a few weeks ago, and apparently it was the dead of winter here. With Daein being the northernmost country, it was bound to be cold year-round, but this was the worst of it.

"That's true," Jason said, nodding. They were sitting around a fire, one of many in the camp, this one away from the others where most of the soldiers had gathered. "I try to make up stuff based on where I used to live. I'm trying to think how things would have been now if I hadn't left..." There was something reflected in his eyes, something deeply melancholy, but then he laughed. "So now you see why I always avoided talking about home when I was going to Ryoo with you guys. It's so hard to lie this much."

Konata remained straight-faced, appearing thoughtful as she stared at the burning firewood. "So what was it like where you came from, anyway? You've never really told me."

"Hm? I guess not... I put it all behind me. I'm sure you can understand why I'd do that."

"Of course." Other than his reports from his phone calls, Konata was at least making an attempt to forget about everyone from her own past. "But I just thought I'd like to know what you were like before you were with the Organization. It seems like this work is pretty much everything to you. I can't imagine what you'd be like before it."

Jason had turned back to the fire and away from her. You could stare into those flames for hours, their movement was entrancing. "If you really want to know..." He paused. "I've been meaning to go back, actually. I don't know how things turned out."

"What?" Konata was shocked. "Wouldn't you... You know, lose your job if you went back? You're supposed to have died, just like I did, aren't you? It's the same way for both of us..."

"Not exactly. I doubt there's anyone left to care if I went back there or not." Konata turned to him, confused, but still just listening. He went on. "It's... I'm really not sure how exactly it is, but I can tell you it's not pretty. Trust me on this. You really don't want to see it." He continued to look down at the fire.

Konata, on the other hand, was now leaning in even closer towards him, interested. "Of course I want to see!"

"Once we've won the war... It'll probably be a few days after that before the next assignment is ready. It's a special request, I don't know the details yet, but we'll have some time. I suppose you could come see where I used to live... You're absolutely sure?"

"Yeah. How bad could it be?"

"Honestly, I don't know. That's why I'm going. To tell the truth, it's been on my mind a lot lately. And you really want to come along..." He sighed. "It's fine, I guess. Your choice."

They heard Ike yelling orders, and saw some of the troops start to douse their fires and pick up camp. They were on the move again. Jason had finished talking about that subject, and switched back to lighter, easier topics of conversation as Joshua helped gather their personal supplies.

* * *

Chapter 17

Come On Down and Meet Your Maker

* * *

It was in this way that, several weeks later, Konata found herself standing in the middle of a street in suburban America, looking very different from anything she had imagined it would.

They were both wearing modern-day clothing now, having changed right before leaving. Konata found she was no longer used to such light clothing, just a T-shirt and shorts, like she would have worn on weekends back home - _back in Lucky Star,_ she corrected herself. It was also a little disconcerting to not be in a two-dimensional style anymore, her blue hair had returned to normal... This world appeared in what most people called "reality."

It was a very harsh reality, however... The lawns were all unkept. A layer of dead leaves covered each one, the overgrown grass poking out through them. There was garbage all over the street, mostly old yellowed flyers and empty bottles. Some of the houses had the windows broken. And there were no people. Birds were singing, there were a few squirrels dashing around, but no people anywhere.

"This... This is where you came from?" she asked, her eyes wide in shock. "You never told me... any of this."

Jason had had his head down, eyes closed. He turned to look at her. "Can't really blame me, though, right? I knew it would be awful. I still kind of recognize it... This had started a little bit before I left, but I should have expected it to be like this..."

The enthusiasm Konata had for learning about this world had vanished. But as much as she wanted to leave, she'd stay here just a little bit longer. "What happened?" she said.

"I want to find that out myself." He was looking around still, and there was a lot to see.

"Was it like this when you left?" Konata asked. She was still having trouble believing this could happen to a world. Out of all the things she had seen... This was the apocalypse, no doubt about it. This world had died.

"Not yet. I'm not exactly sure what was going on when I left. There was a lot of confusion at the time. Rumors everywhere. All I know for sure is that the end of the world really was coming, like so many people had started to say. And I guess that's why when Eclipse showed up, I didn't hesitate to come with them."

"And... That was when you first joined."

"Six years ago. I never had the experience of working part-time, like you did. They said if I didn't leave here forever, I'd be dead within a month. Like everyone else."

_Within a month?_ Konata couldn't believe that. "W-what? So... what did it?"

Jason had turned his attention to all the flyers on the ground. If the landscape hadn't proved what they said, they would appear to be shoddily-written propaganda and conspiracy theories. Some of them read THERE IS NO CURE! THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN LYING TO YOU! And yet another bunch read, SUPERFLU WAS CREATED BY THE U.S. MILITARY! Picking up a dirt-covered pill bottle, a few capsules still rattling in the bottom, he could read that it claimed to be the "only true cure for the Captain Trips virus."

"Apparently, people got sick. That did seem to be one of the more popular stories, anyway. There were other ones, too, about nuclear radiation and judgment from God. But in the end, it turns out people were just getting sick..."

Konata couldn't believe it. She had left her own world behind simply out of boredom. Because her life wasn't as exciting as the ones she read about, or saw in games. There hadn't been anything to "escape" except the threat of living a normal life. Here was something that really _did_ warrant running away.

"So did you even have to fake your death, anything like that?"

"By that point, there was so much panic that people were disappearing all the time," Jason said. "I wonder if any of my friends even noticed that I was gone."

Dropping the pill bottle, he started walking down the street. Konata followed. _But if there was a virus..._

"You're sure this isn't in the air, still, right? The virus?"

"I already called someone from Eclipse to ask if this was okay. They did a report for me. It's not an airborne disease. Everyone that could be affected from it died when this all started, and the virus eventually died out with them."

There was a group of lots where houses had once stood, now reduced to some charred framework if anything still stood. A fire had broken out here, or maybe even intentional arson. Without an active fire department, it had just burned itself out. At least ten houses seemed to have been caught in the blaze.

Later they passed a car, a green pickup truck. Someone was sitting in the driver's seat. Neither of them wanted to take a closer look, but it was obvious that this person had suffered the effects of sitting dead in a car for several summers and winters.

Konata really couldn't say anything about all of this. It was all so silent. It actually wasn't unlike being back in the medieval, not-fully-civilized world of Fire Emblem again, in one of those remote areas away from the towns where it was only nature, untouched by anything manmade. Except here, nature had simply retaken what had once been civilization.

"There it is," Jason said suddenly. He had stopped in front of a house, two stories, the windows (like all of the other houses) had been smashed, the white rocking chairs on the porch knocked over, the shrubs in the front yard grown out of control. "This is where I used to live."

So this was the house that everyone thought they were calling him at... Konata imagined their reactions if they could see what it really looked like.

"Last time I was here, I had just finished sixth grade. I was twelve years old, I lived with my parents... and my brother Brandon..." Jason's face showed the pain that remembering them brought. His whole family, dead. He had abandoned them. "I used to ride my bike around town a lot... I played basketball on the school team. Didn't think much about the future. I just lived in the moment." He hesitated, staring at one of the second floor windows, which was still unbroken. "I guess I still do."

Konata was amazed at how he was able to deal with all of this so well. True, he never did talk about it until just now. If something like this had happened to her when she was in middle school, would she be able to forget it? She wasn't sure. "Want to go inside?" she offered.

"No... Definitely not," he said. "Who knows what we'd find in there?"

"You're probably right..." she agreed. They kept moving.

* * *

As they entered town, there seemed to be even more destruction. Not all of this could be natural. This was what happened when people abandoned their government as it died off, and regressed to anarchy in their final moments. And there were bodies. They had almost completely decomposed, but it didn't change the fact that people had been dying where they fell. And left there. She had seen plenty of dead bodies, but those had been soldiers. These were innocent people. And it had happened to everyone on Earth...

"Wait, here's something." Konata stopped at a machine that was selling newspapers. This one wasn't broken into yet, it still had some issues left in there. She kicked the dusty glass in, shattering it like the others had been.

The old, yellowed newspaper was called the _Stovington Citizen,_ and it was dated July 19, 2010. The front page was a special report on a patient who had escaped the disease control center... which was right in town, as it turned out. A quote from lead biochemist Ronald Faraday called the incident "a possible threat to the health of the local area." Possible greatest understatement of the millenium...

"You had a disease research center in your hometown... when the world ended due to a _plague?_" Konata said. "That's a really tough twist of fate, don't you think?"

Ignoring her, Jason was looking at the date. "July 19? That's still a few weeks after I was gone... They were still publishing the Citizen then..."

"And it's... 2010? You were from five years in the future the entire time you were going to school with me?"

"Technically it's 2016 now."

"But still."

Jason had started reading the article more attentively, taking in all the details. It was the last record of his home world, after all. Konata turned her attention to some graffiti on the brick wall of a coffee shop. It was done crudely in red spray paint, the stylized image of an eye, the pupil just a swirl. 1000 WORLDS DYING AT ONCE, it read underneath. ALL HAIL THE CRIMSON KING!

"People were really going crazy, weren't they..." Konata muttered. Something about that really disturbed her. What did it mean by "a thousand worlds"? Surely nobody knew about other universes, did they? And... For this to happen to so many worlds at once?

Jason had looked up, and was examining the strange graffiti as well. "That's all it is, though. People going crazy. If there was anything like that... This Crimson King, or whatever... Eclipse would've made him a priority. Don't let it bother you."

"Yeah." Konata let out a breath. Why had it worried her so much? Something about that eye still gave her the creeps. She tried to ignore it. "So... Tell me more about what you did before I met you. After you joined Eclipse. What kind of missions did you do?"

"I was all over the place," he said. "You mostly focus on worlds that you recognize. Anime, games. But I didn't really care, I just wanted to be away from here. Not all of them were worlds I'd heard of before, just whatever missions were available. I wanted to learn a variety of skills."

"You weren't tempted to go somewhere just because you saw it in a movie or whatever?" Konata asked. "I thought that was only natural." The mission listing often did have plenty of options of worlds that she'd never heard of, but she just turned a blind eye to those. She liked being familiar with a place. That was another reason why this world was so scary to her. It was totally unfamiliar.

"I put everything I had into Eclipse. Really, it was all I had left," Jason said. "I think I told you about meeting Kamina, Joshua, some other guys. I did do a few missions in anime, video games, but there wasn't really a pattern to it. I didn't have any preferences."

"And when you came to Ryoo..." Konata said. She looked up at him. "What made you do that? And you said you never went to school in all that time, since middle school. Must've been hard."

"Coming to Ryoo..." He seemed to be searching for the memory. Konata wondered why it looked like he was having difficulty with it. Wasn't that more recent than anything else? "That was... It wasn't my choice, actually. They said they'd been watching you for possible recruitment, and I was in the right age group to get close. Honestly I didn't even want to go at first."

"What? Why?" Konata said. "What's so wrong about my world?"

"Aren't you the one who left it?"

Konata couldn't say anything to that. He had a point.

"Uh... sorry."

"So, um..." Konata was reaching for some other topic of conversation. She was done with this place. Time to get out. "So what's our next assignment? You said they had it chosen for us already?"

"Right, that. Well, if _you_ don't mind going back to school..." Jason was grinning.

* * *

Floor 379 - Interuniversal Supply Delivery.

Like the rest of the Eclipse headquarters, it was lit by soft blue light from some unidentified source set into the black marble walls. It had the elegance of traditional magic with a simultaneous hi-tech sheen. But all of that couldn't really change the fact that Floor 379 was, at its heart, a mail room.

Konata stood in line as she waited to approach the counter. The line, although extremely long - at least a hundred people, in what reminded Konata of a wide variety of cosplay outfits - moved quickly. The packages were all somehow stored in a computer system that would cause them to materialize into existence with just a few keystrokes. There was no storage room for the attendants to hunt through. Talk about convenience.

She watched as people took their packages. Most of them seemed modern, they had regular stamps and postmarks on them. Apparently, they were all sent to locations in one world, where someone from the organization would pick them up and bring them here for delivery. The system fascinated her.

Konata was here to pick up a package for her next assignment, which would take almost an entire year to complete. The delivery was going to be her new school uniform and course information for her senior year at Gekkokan High School, on Tatsumi Port Island. It was a large city that didn't even exist where she was from.

A whole year of acting normal, going to school, making friends with regular students her own age... And, at night, summoning a Persona and fighting Shadows to prevent the end of the world. Persona 3, a blend of Konata's two favorite kinds of game - a turn-based RPG with dating sim elements. And she was going to _live_ there. This kind of thing never stopped exciting her.

"Next, please," a voice called, and she was snapped back into the moment. She had already reached the front of the line, and the attendant was waiting for her to step up to the counter.

"Hi, um... I'm supposed to get a package addressed to..." What was it? It was something nearby her old address, but not the same. "It should be somewhere in Saitama, I forget what they made up for me, actually," Konata replied. She did remember one detail that she hoped would be enough. "It'll be from Gekkokan High School."

The attendant looked at her - _what was she thinking?_ Konata wondered. _Trying to imagine what I'd get something from a high school for, or... wondering if I'm old enough for high school?_ Sometimes it was depressing, being this short and undeveloped.

"This should be it," she said finally, handing Konata a small cardboard box, with just a bit of weight to it. That would be the information papers and the uniform.

"Thanks." Konata glanced at the label. "Looks good."

The address was alright, but whose name had it been sent to? She had expected it to at least have the family name of Izumi on it.

* * *

Floor 586 - Cafeteria #10. Yes, Eclipse actually required several floors of cafeterias in their headquarters.

Before coming here, Konata had gone to her room on Floor 2692 - not even _close _to the top floor - and dropped off the package. She had tried on the new uniform. It was different from the Ryoo sailor uniforms. Completely black, with a white undershirt and a red bow at the neck. A small red, white, and black circular emblem was on the left side. She couldn't wait to see how she would look in it once she was back to her blue-haired anime self.

Also in the package were some notes on her new backstory, some forged records she would need to take with her, although most of the information Eclipse had produced was already slipped into the systems in the Persona 3 universe. She'd have to study this. Most of it was close enough to the truth that it wouldn't be hard, but there were some other details. Both her parents were supposed to have died when she was young, instead of only her mother. She had gone to Kasukabe High School, not Ryoo. A few other minor details. There was also money. 300,000 yen - Konata couldn't help but wonder how they had gotten that, or if it was legal.

And, although Jason would still be working with her, she was not supposed to know who he was. His story was identical to before. An exchange student, coming from Stovington, Vermont... which was still supposed to be a thriving community. This was his first-ever year in a Japanese school. He'd have to throw out everything he had gotten used to at Ryoo, and act almost entirely oblivious to Japanese culture.

Jason had already gone to the new universe. He was getting his temporary apartment set up. Coming in at a different time as Konata would be more realistic than them showing up together. She was to arrive in the city just a single day before classes started. _So what's it going to be like as a transfer student?_ she wondered.

Konata hoped this was the first step in getting to transfer to a certain other school. Joining a certain brigade, led by a certain girl who shared a voice actress with herself...

But for now, she was here in the #10 cafeteria, a large room twice the size of her old school's gymnasium, the rows of long, white-marble tables stretched across nearly the entire length of the space. They had just about any kind of food you could want. Konata was thrilled to get a choco cornet again, but also ordered a large bowl of ramen. After eating army rations for so long, it was heaven.

"Wow, you look pretty young to be working here," someone said. She looked up, it was a man with blond hair, probably in his twenties or early thirties. He wore a white lab coat with the Eclipse emblem on a patch, with a black T-shirt underneath. "They start some of you off so early..." The man sat down next to her and unwrapped a sandwich.

_What did he know about starting young? Hadn't Jason started when he was all of twelve years old? _She stared at him for a while, the possibility that he might have special interests crossing her mind. But the obvious signs weren't there, he was even sitting across the table instead of getting up close, right next to her, like those kinds of people usually did.

Ignoring that for now, Konata asked, "Uh... who are you?"

"Name's Nick Barrett. I'm with the research division," he said, giving her a smile. "Don't mind me, I didn't recognize anyone I knew here, either. Thought I'd meet someone new. And you are?"

"Izumi Konata. And I'm not really that young, I'm eighteen."

"You're Izumi - ? Sorry. I didn't realize!" He was scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

That was an interesting reaction. Now Konata wanted to know more. "You've heard of me?"

"Um, no. I mean - I..." Nick was acting strange. But apparently he knew something about her, so Konata resisted the urge to just stand up and leave. "I've... heard your name around, different places. From friends, coworkers, you know. What division are you in?"

How fascinating. Here she was, in what was pretty much the restaurant at the center of the multiverse, and someone had heard her name before. Was she famous? "I'm in the combat section, mostly."

"Ah." Nick nodded as he opened up a can of soda, some brand Konata didn't recognize called "Skist."

"So what does 'research' do, exactly?" Konata asked. She'd never spent much time at headquarters, but this seemed to be the place where members from all different assignments converged.

"We've been working on the servers, mostly. Number RD-19 hasn't been functioning properly, it's been sending people all over the place. Really messy situation. I've only got a half-hour for break." He smiled weakly, it was obvious that he was exhausted.

"So you're the people who work on the servers for the Talismans? Nice," Konata said. "I've always wondered how they work." She could tell he was nearly about to start a long, complicated, and _very _scientific explanation, so she quickly cut him off. "No, it's fine, you don't need to tell me. It's fine."

It had never occurred to her that the system wasn't always perfect. It had always taken her to the universe and specific location that she requested. It sounded like a security issue, Eclipse was extremely secretive to non-members. They were always instructed to travel only in secluded areas, away from any potential witnesses. If the server was acting up, who knows where you'd get dropped?

"Forsythe has really been on our case about this," Nick continued. "Can you believe that guy? He's in charge of the entire organization, but he never shows up in person, even when something like this is a 'matter of grave importance' or whatever. I don't imagine you've ever seen him in person."

"From what I've heard, he doesn't even speak to most members. Nobody I know has ever even heard his voice," Konata said.

"Yeah. We've heard his voice, that's about it..." Nick's voice trailed off. Konata was getting the feeling maybe it wasn't such a good idea to criticize their boss while in his headquarters. Apparently Nick was thinking the same way. Changing the subject, he said, "So what kind of work do they have you doing?"

"I'm going to high school starting in four days." Konata couldn't believe it herself. That seemed so far away.

Nick almost choked on his sandwich, trying to hold back laughter. "In the c_ombat division? _What's _that_ all about?"

"Yeah, I'll be fighting demons at night, but during the day I'm supposed to be a normal student. It's going to be so cool!" Konata said.

"Ah. Let me guess, this is from some weird Japanese video game or something like that?"

"Of course." Konata happened to love weird Japanese video games. It was like celebrating her culture.

"So Konata, you're pretty good at what you do, right? It's never been much of a challenge for you?"

She stopped. _Had_ it ever been a challenge?

Thinking back to those early missions... She had screwed up a few times. Gotten killed once, but as luck would have it, got better. That mission with the Evangelion unit had seemed nearly impossible, but it had turned out fine. Everything always seemed to go her way...

"Yeah, I'd say I'm good at it."

"Wow. You really do never know who's cut out for this kind of thing, do you... It's been good meeting you."

"Same to you."

"Really makes me wonder how Recruitment picks people out..." Nick said, not to anyone in particular, more to himself. But Konata had to agree with him, it did seem like a mystery. Did she ever think she'd be cut out for this sort of thing before it happened?

But there would be time to consider her purpose in life once this ramen bowl stopped being so delicious.


	18. Burn My Dread

Class had ended on the first day of Kirijo Mitsuru's senior year at Gekkokan High School. Graduating class of 2010. This year she was going to be extremely busy. She already worked to maintain her status as valedictorian, balancing time to study alongside work as the student council president. And, unknown to all but her closest friends... Her other extracurricular club, the one that met at night. They'd be adding some members this year.

It would be a good idea to get back to the dorm in order to prepare to meet those new members, but first she wanted to talk to someone.

The new girl in the class, a transfer student from Tokyo by the name of Murakami Emiri. Mitsuru caught her in the hall, apparently in a hurry to get somewhere. Murakami's black hair was an impressive length, reaching all the way down her back. However, she was also very short, at least a head shorter than Mitsuru with a childlike figure.

"Murakami Emiri, correct?" Mitsuru said.

Emiri stopped walking and spun around to face her. A smile came to her face. "Yeah. And you're..." Mitsuru was about to speak, but was cut off. "Don't tell me, I remember you, you're the student council president. Your name is..." Emiri's face twisted as she tried to remember. "Uh, go ahead and tell me."

"Kirijo Mitsuru."

"Of course. I'll remember it next time. So, did you want to talk to me or something?"

"It's nothing. I just wanted to welcome you to Gekkokan High School. I'm sure you'll enjoy it here."

Emiri nodded. "Thanks. Now if you'll excuse me, I was going to go check out the track team."

"Already getting to know your classmates... That's admirable," Mitsuru said. It was one of the few things respectable about this new girl. She had slept through most of class, and stared out the window the entire time she was awake. How could some people put so little thought into their education?

"Thanks. It was nice meeting you!" Emiri turned and was already headed down the stairs, towards the practice field.

It was Mitsuru's duty to provide a good example to the other students, and that included welcoming new students. Besides Emiri, there was also a foreign exchange student in one of the other senior classes, and of course, Arisato in the second year class. She had met him last night at the dorm. There was really no need to be overly concerned with any of the transfer students besides Arisato...

Something about Emiri, however... This morning, when she had introduced herself, Mitsuru felt like the new student's gaze kept on resting on her, or moving to Sanada Akihiko... Not that this girl could possibly know about SEES, that both herself and Akihiko were the principal members of the group, but it was... disconcerting. It was like she had been examining them.

Mitsuru put that weird feeling behind her. Murakami Emiri was a normal, if extremely unmotivated, student from the city. There was nothing to be suspicious about.

* * *

Chapter 18

Remind Me That I Still Live

* * *

After spending so many months at war, modern day traffic just smelled unbearable. It was hard to keep up the pretense that she was moving here from Tokyo when she just couldn't re-adapt to city life. The sky was just beginning to turn a deep, vibrant orange as Konata stepped into Book-On, the local manga and game supplier at Iwatodai strip mall.

The familiar smells, the feel of a brand new manga in her hands... The rest of city life might suck, but she had spent so long in Fire Emblem that she had almost forgotten these particular pleasures. True, she had stopped in this store several times during the past month, but those feelings weren't wearing off any time soon. This was the perfect place to kill some time.

Posters in the window advertised new merchandise available for Phoenix Ranger Featherman R. It was some sort of tokusatsu show that was immensely popular in this world. Konata had been watching it when she had the time, starting with Episode 19. She'd probably be expected to know something about it, everyone in this world did, so she figured she might as well. It wasn't too bad.

Other than that, she recognized nearly everything for sale here. None of this had been mentioned when she played this as a video game, but it was all there. It was very much like her old world in all kinds of ways. Just skimming through, they had Fullmetal Alchemist, Gundam, Cardcaptor Sakura... Plenty of Haruhi merchandise as well. Good to see it was just as popular here as it had been back there...

And of course, she had seen some Lucky Star books on the shelf as well. It had been interesting to see her own face - not to mention Kagami and Tsukasa - on the cover of Volume One, staring back at her from the racks. She'd read it before, just never actually seen it for sale...

And, of course, she didn't really look like that to anyone else. Nobody else could see she had the same blue hair and green eyes. And since Izumi Konata wasn't that common of a name, and someone would probably link it to the anime character at some point... That was why there was now a student ID in her wallet with her photo on it and the name Murakami Emiri. It was part of the fake records Eclipse had given to her. It would take some getting used to, having to answer to a different name. But what was the alternative?

Now she was standing outside, checking her watch. It was 11:59 PM, so that meant that any second now...

The cars in the street came to a sudden stop, not braking, just freezing in place. Where there had been people standing, now there were only upright black coffins. The sky was covered in emerald green clouds, with a large yellow full moon providing a strange glow to the city.

The Dark Hour.

Before they had split up, Jason had given her a briefing on this mission. As she already knew, the Dark Hour was something that happened every night, only experienced by those with the power of Persona, the ability to manifest your inner soul. It was a rare gift, which explained why everyone else here had turned into a coffin. It had been so surprising that both she and Jason had the potential, but Eclipse definitely wanted them to come here. They were the right age to blend in with the other Persona users, and if they didn't help to fight the Shadows, strange creatures that became active during the Dark Hour, there was a very real possibility that this world would come to an end.

A thousand worlds dying at once? Hopefully not, but this could at least be one less.

As for right now, she was waiting for some other students to show up at the station. Others with the same gift to fight against the Shadows. She'd have to make this look like a coincidence, it would be a while before they showed up... If it was going to be convincing, Konata would have to act like she hadn't been expecting any of this, that she was scared... But it was going to be so boring waiting for them.

Her watch had stopped, as had all other electric devices, but it had probably been fifteen minutes or so before she saw movement in the distance.

"Senpai said in front of the station here, right?" A male voice. She recognized it as Iori Junpei, a second year.

"Yeah, I don't see anyone yet..." A girl, Takeba Yukari. She would be in the same grade as Junpei.

Time to make contact. Konata tried to make her voice sound shaky and uncertain. "H-hello? Is someone there?" She went towards the sound of their voices, eventually seeing them come into view.

"Huh? Murakami-senpai... What're you doing here?" The team leader, a boy with blue hair by the name of Arisato Minato, ran towards her, the other two following behind. She knew him already from track team. That had been her first experience actually joining a school club, mostly for the purpose of meeting Minato early on, but it really wasn't so bad.

"Minato-kun!" Konata ran towards him. "You're... What's going on, anyway?"

The four of them stood there, in the midst of total stillness. Other than Konata, they were wearing their school uniforms, although Junpei added a baseball cap, and Yukari wore a pink cardigan over the usual outfit. They were also carrying weapons. The two boys had swords, Yukari carried a bow.

"How come she isn't..." Junpei was examining her, surprised she hadn't been stuck in a coffin like everyone else as time stopped for sixty minutes, as it did every night. "You know her, Minato?"

"I don't have any idea what's going on here," Konata said. "Minato-kun... What is all this?"

"What do we do? It's too dangerous out here..." Yukari said. She turned to Konata. "Emiri, was it? You should probably just wait with us, Mitsuru-senpai should be here any minute now. She'll know what to do."

Success, she had met up with the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, SEES for short. Jason was supposed to meet them in a similar setup in a couple of weeks. On the inside, Konata was absolutely giddy with excitement.

"Emiri, have you ever experienced this before?" Minato asked her. "It's called the Dark Hour. It happens every night, for exactly one hour at midnight."

Konata had, in fact, been awake just about every night during the Dark Hour. She would be trying to play a game, watch anime, something like that, when the electricity would shut off and everything would turn greenish. More than anything else, it was annoying, plain and simple. "No, I don't think I have... What are you guys doing here? And what are those?" She pointed to the weapons.

"Hey, Minato, you think she maybe has..." Junpei fell short of saying the word "Persona," as if he wasn't sure he could tell her about it yet.

"Isn't Persona what makes people aware of the Dark Hour? Maybe she does," Yukari said.

"Persona...? What's that?" Konata said. She'd have to play dumb just a little while longer, until they let her sit through a full briefing of things she already knew. But if they would let her help out on this mission, tonight, that would be excellent. She had been getting bored with no action for a full month. And she couldn't wait to see what form her inner self would take.

"Persona is... how do I put this?" Minato paused, scratching his head. "It's this special power we have that lets us fight Shadows. It's kind of complicated, but... I think we should tell you everything."

They heard the low buzz of a motor echoing through the stillness. Mitsuru arrived on her motorbike.

"Sorry I was late, we need to - " She stopped when she saw Konata standing there with the others. "Murakami-san..."

"We found her when we got here. What should we do?" Minato asked her.

"This is... unexpected..." Mitsuru thought for a moment. "I'm sorry, but we're pressed for time as it is. Murakami-san, I want you to stay behind with me tonight. We'll take you back to the dorm and explain everything when this is all over."

Konata almost groaned with disappointment. She had really been hoping they'd let her fight, but seeing as they didn't know how capable she was, it was only natural they would try to protect her. There was always next time.

"Alright. Thanks," she said.

* * *

The next day at school, Konata decided to leave the classroom for lunch. As she headed towards the second-year classrooms, she passed by Jason who was standing out in the hall with some students she didn't recognize. She heard one of them mention the phrase "Apathy Syndrome."

"'Scuse me, for a moment," Jason said, leaving the other students, and came over to talk to her.

"Hey. I got in," Konata said.

"Great. So how'd it go last night?" His voice dropped to a low murmur.

"I haven't gotten to fight yet. But they're letting me move into the dorm and we'll be going to Tartarus in a few days," she said. Tartarus. She couldn't wait to see it in person. That was where most of the fighting happened, it was infested with lesser Shadows. "When are you going to join?"

"I'll show up in about a week, maybe two. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah." Raising her voice a bit louder, for everyone else to hear, she said, "Nice meeting you!" Then she continued through the hall. Jason shook his head and rejoined the other students.

Konata was amazed at how well he integrated into all these different worlds. He was constantly jumping back and forth through different time periods and geographies, and yet none of these students doubted that he had come here from modern-day America. It had been the same way at Ryoo, hadn't it? And now... She was the same way. Nobody noticed that she wasn't used to schoolwork or city life. Maybe it was just because of their own expectations.

She hurried towards Room 2-F.

* * *

Junpei glanced up as the classroom door slid open. He was seated around the cluster of desks in the center of the room, eating lunch with Minato and Yukari as usual. He was surprised to see Emiri, that girl from last night, walk in and join their table.

"Emiri-senpai. What's up?" he said. He looked at the lunch she was carrying, which was really just a choco cornet and _only_ a choco cornet. Strange how people in real life could eat like that. Come to think of it, hadn't he seen something similar in an anime or something before?

"Just thought I'd drop in," Emiri said. She frowned. "You know, I don't think anyone even notices when I leave the senior class hallway."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd mistake you for a freshman," Yukari said teasingly.

"I'm going to ignore that for now... So about last night. That was incredible, by the way, how you took down that Shadow... And then you were saying something about going to... Tartarus, was it?" Emiri said, changing the subject. "I'm looking forward to it. When do we go?"

"Whoa, take it easy there," Yukari said. "We've got exams in a week. Aren't you going to study?"

"Not for seven entire days?" Emiri muttered. "Why do we have to worry about it now, then? Isn't it more important that we stop the end of the world? I don't really care about grades, anyway."

"Aren't you a senior?" Minato said. He wore headphones, but he still seemed to be listening to the conversation. "I'm surprised you could say that."

"What you're really saying is that it's a hopeless pursuit, right?" Junpei said. "I'd have to agree with you there. I think I'm just going to fail, too. I'm not going to be wasting my time."

"Good. We can train together while everyone else is studying, then," Emiri said, turning to him. "I can't wait to start fighting with the rest of you guys. Hey, Junpei, are you on any of the sports teams? You need conditioning."

"What? But I don't have time to join any clubs! I've got more important things to do, like... Uh..." Junpei searched for an excuse, but to no avail.

"Exactly. Why don't you join track? Minato's there too. It'll be fun." Minato glanced up as she made the suggestion.

"You know, Junpei, she actually has a point about that. You should try to make something of yourself," Yukari said. "But both of you really should be studying, whether you think you need to or not."

"Yeah. Emiri, I'm sure Mitsuru-senpai would be glad to work together with you on studying," Minato said. "Isn't she in your class? I'm surprised you're not talking to her and Akihiko, actually."

"You're both starting to sound just like Kagami..." Emiri shook her head sadly. Junpei wondered if this Kagami was one of her friends from her old school, but Emiri didn't say anything else about her. "Mitsuru and Akihiko aren't doing anything worthwhile at the moment," she said. "I mean, finally something interesting comes up, and they're just complaining that I sleep too much in class. We need to be getting ready for the next big Shadow that comes up!"

Yukari's mouth dropped open. "You're seriously expecting another one to show up? Already?"

"Do you really think it would be over with just one? I get the feeling you don't watch enough anime. That's exactly what this is like." Emiri was grinning, she seemed so fearless.

"I guess you're right about that," Junpei said. "I mean, you guys have seen how huge Tartarus is. We haven't come anywhere near the top yet. There's gotta be a lot more in there, just waiting."

"And I'm just dying of anticipation to see this Tartarus place. Don't keep me waiting." Emiri had a bright gleam of excitement flashing in her eyes. And Junpei found that he could relate. Fighting the Shadows was a hell of a lot more interesting than living a normal student life. They should be making the most of it.

The bell rang for lunch to be over.

"Huh? Oh crap, I need to get going!" Emiri said, quickly standing up, catching her chair in the split second before it fell over backwards. "I'll see you all tonight, then! Can't wait to move in!" She rushed out the door to get back to the senior classrooms.

* * *

At night, the school grounds were still and silent, the gates closed, the windows dark and motionless. Even ignoring what was going to happen once the clock struck midnight, it was a naturally creepy place. Everyone from the dorm had gathered outside.

"We all head out here before the Dark Hour actually starts," Minato explained as they approached the fence. He carried a completely non-suspicious looking golf bag. "Since the power goes out, we need to take the train while it's still running. And once it transforms, we have one hour in there before we have to leave."

"So you're our team leader?" Konata asked. "How'd you get that job?"

"He's the one with all the special power, who can change Personas in the middle of battle, nothing like the rest of us," Junpei said, his voice taking a bitter edge.

Yukari checked her cell phone, the screen a dim glow of white light in the darkness. "We've got one minute. Get ready."

Konata turned away from them to watch the school building. As a dark green haze settled over the world, Gekkokan twisted into a new shape and rose towards the sky, turning into a stack of mismatched architecture, stairways and balconies jutting out from all sides. A clock face was near the top, which dwarfed all the other buildings in the city. Konata knew from previous experience that it was around 270 stories tall.

"Well then, shall we enter?" Mitsuru said. "We have exactly sixty minutes until it changes back. Everyone needs to be out by then."

Minato opened the golf bag and handed out the weapons. Two-handed swords for himself and Junpei, Yukari's archery set, an elegant rapier for Mitsuru, boxing gloves for Akihiko. "Emiri, what do you want?" he asked. "And sorry that you have to learn on the job, but you'll be okay, right?"

"Got any extra swords?" Konata said. "I've... done some kendo before. I know how to use them." That sounded good, didn't it?

* * *

The interior of Tartarus - this first section, at least - was recognizable as the school. The same checkered patterns on the floor tiles, the same walls... Although there were pools of blood on the ground, and everything had a deep emerald hue, but the resemblance was still there.

Akihiko turned to her. "Alright, Emiri. Since this is your first time here, don't try anything too dangerous. Stay close to the group. The last thing we need is for you to get lost in here. And you know how to summon your Persona, correct?"

Konata hadn't done it yet, but she knew how. You would point this thing that looked an awful lot like a handgun directly at your head, and fire. _Doesn't that seem familiar..._ she thought. Memories of that rainy night were coming back. But all the Evoker did was harmlessly release the Persona inside your soul and allow it to fight for you. She couldn't wait to see what hers would look like.

"Minato, are you seeing any Shadows yet?" Junpei said. He was gazing around restlessly, his sword held up over his shoulder.

"Not yet," Minato replied. "Let's go find them. Emiri, stay close." He took the lead, everyone else following behind. It was difficult to imagine that nobody else seemed to think this was maybe a lot like an RPG.

A hint of movement in the space ahead. Something crawling along the floor, a formless black mass. Hands formed out of whatever it was made of, and it carried a blue, emotionless mask as its face.

Yukari took out her bow as the thing approached and fired an arrow directly into the center of it. The Shadow squealed in pain, flinched for a moment but then advanced even faster. Konata couldn't wait any longer, she raised the Evoker to her temple and fired.

The report was loud, and did in fact sound like a gunshot, but it didn't feel anything like Konata expected it to. Her head jerked to the side slightly in recoil, but for just a moment her mind was entirely clear. It was a pleasant feeling, actually.

Something large appeared before her. It seemed to be humanoid, wrapped in flowing blue cloth. The long hair resembled her own in style, but it was red instead of blue or black. It held out an ornate chest in front of it, which it opened, unleashing a momentarily blinding light.

Somehow, Konata knew that her Persona was called Pandora, of the Star arcana. The knowledge seemed to be inside of her. And it was her inner self, after all. It only made sense that she would instinctively know what it was, how to control it. It all seemed to be subconscious knowledge just now coming to the surface.

"Emiri, that was... great..." Minato said in surprise. "You really caught on fast..."

The Shadow had vanished in the light, an instant kill. It was just a small one, but she felt satisfied nonetheless. Persona was a skill unlike anything she had ever used before, who knows what else it would be able to do?

"There are more on the way. Don't stop now," Akihiko said as he readied himself for the next attack.

Mitsuru's voice came in, seemingly out of the air. She had stayed at the entrance, but her Persona allowed her to speak to them and see their progress. "We've got about 45 minutes left. Keep going."

"Alright, our goal for today is to get as far as possible," Minato said. "We might even reach the next block if we hurry."

Konata smiled, enjoying the rush of battle again. Putting away the Evoker for now, she readied her sword. She'd have to find a new one, though, this one was just so nondescript... It really wasn't deserving of her skill as a swordmaster.

Something that looked like a large black bird flew straight towards her while she was examining the weapon. Without much of a thought, she raised the sword and brought it down in a single quick strike, the thing squawking as it hit the ground in a flurry of dark feathers. She barely noticed it had happened, but stabbed it against the ground just to finish it off.

"You got another already?" Junpei said. "How are you so good at this?"

Instincts she picked up while serving in a war, maybe? "This is why you need to join a sports team, Junpei. You need to improve your reflexes."

He gaped at her as she quickly ran to catch up with the rest of the group, heading towards the stairs to the next floor. This was going to be a fun night.

* * *

It was a few days later. Konata sighed. As great as it was around here, when nobody else wanted to go to Tartarus there just wasn't much left to do.

They went to Tartarus only about every other night, sometimes two days in a row if they weren't too exhausted. Konata was always ready to head out, but they didn't trust her on her own. She grudgingly complied, knowing that she could, in theory, head out there and fight for an hour with no backup. But that was Konata who could do that, she was supposed to be Emiri for now. Athletic, slightly above-average skills in battle, definitely not from another universe.

In her bedroom at the dorm, she usually played this MMO that Junpei had introduced her to. It was called Innocent Sin Online, and while recently it was mostly dead, there were still enough players there to form a good party and do some raids, just like the good old days.

Tonight she was just checking out the forums, looking for information on rare items. There was no shame in asking for help when you were a new player. Looks like someone had answered her question from last night...

Konata scrolled down the page, then stopped. This person had a picture of her set as their own avatar... It was a small image, but it appeared to be in her room, the shelves in the background suggesting that she was sitting at her computer desk in her old bedroom. From the looks of it, it was a screen capture of the Lucky Star anime.

Imagine that. She was living in a video game, one that she had once played in her old universe, and she had no idea that she was so famous in this world. Random people online were using her picture for themselves. Not to mention this person didn't even realize who he was giving advice to.

How strange to think that Persona 3 existed in the Lucky Star universe as a work of fiction, and at the same time the reverse was true.

Now Konata was getting curious. She typed her name - her real name - into a search engine to see what came up.

Some of it was flattering. Other things were just completely disturbing. But she was like an icon to the otaku in this world, her name came up often on gaming websites and anime discussions. A variety of fanart showed her in really great cosplay outfits that she wished she actually owned.

She was like a goddess to legions of devoted fans. If only she could tell them how much she appreciated all of this. If only they could know that she now walked among them.

Just how many universes were out there where Lucky Star was popular?

There was also the homesickness. Bringing up anything related to Lucky Star was bound to have something relating to the people she had left behind in that world. True, the fans had a very limited view of what life had really been like there, but so much of the material came from things Konata herself remembered... Although half the series had never had a chance to happen, it was all so much from their senior year.

Senior year hadn't happened like it was supposed to, that was for sure.

Konata sighed, and closed the internet window. Logging back into Innocent Sin, she tried to push all of those things out of her mind and focus on finding that rare armor she had just been told about.

* * *

Another typical evening at the dorms, a week later.

Jason had arrived the day before. He claimed to have been awake at midnight one night, and from his window he could see Tartarus rise up where the school had been. After watching it several times over the next few days, he decided to head out one night and see it up close, at which point he had met up with the squad outside the entrance and been asked to join once they saw he stayed awake during the Dark Hour.

Konata wondered what was so wrong about being found at random, just happening to be out when the clock struck midnight. He was such a show-off with that fancy story of his.

Everyone was sitting around, Yukari was at the computer, Mitsuru was studying with Akihiko around the table, Jason was moving his belongings into one of the empty rooms on the second floor. Konata and Junpei had their DS systems out, and were playing against each other. Konata was glad to see her skills hadn't gotten rusty after weeks of inactivity.

"Hm... You know, Emiri, I just realized who you remind me of," Junpei said suddenly.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she glanced up at him.

"You ever see that show Lucky Star? You're kind of like the main character of that," Junpei said. "Her name was... Konata, something like that. You're just like her."

Konata felt like she had been hit with a ton of bricks. It was strange to hear her real name again, spoken one of them. "Oh, yeah... I saw that one... a year or two ago. I've actually had people say that before, believe it or not." She smiled nervously. "I didn't think you were the type to be into that kind of thing."

"Oh, sure. It was a pretty good show, actually."

"So what other kinds of anime do you watch?" Konata asked, trying to change the subject before it got too awkward. "We otaku need to stick together, you know." She grinned.

"Otaku? No, no, I'm not - " Junpei was stammering. "I'm not that obsessed, really..."


	19. Sleep Well Tonight

_This street was back in her own world. In fact, hadn't she used to come through here all the time after school, usually with Kagami and Tsukasa? Small scraps of memories were coming back, her old life, the people she used to know..._

_The trees along the side of the street were pink with cherry blossoms. It was the beginning of spring. There were some students walking home, all in the old Ryoo winter uniforms that, judging by the weather, they'd be switching out of soon. She recognized some of them, even after being gone for a year, from seeing them in the hallways or in front of the building each morning before class started. Nobody that she knew by name, though. Looking down at herself, Konata could see that she was still wearing the summer uniform - for Gekkokan, not Ryoo. Nobody seemed to care. Nobody was even looking in her direction, as if she wasn't even there._

_Standing there on the sidewalk, taking in all the sights and sounds of her home universe, Konata suddenly realized that she was now alone. The students had disappeared without a trace, as dark clouds came to cover the sun and leave the city in shadows._

_The pink flowers withered and fell slowly to the ground, leaving the branches barren and tangled. All color seemed to be leaving, except for two solitary points of red._

_On closer inspection... Those red spots were eyes. A man was standing just across the now-empty street from her, all his features in very dark shadow. The details of the scenery surrounding both of them were still visible, but everything about this man was in complete blackness, except for those burning crimson eyes. From his silhouette, Konata could see he had long scraggly hair, down to his shoulders, and wore Western-style boots. His clothing was wrinkled and worn from years of use. An old jacket, some worn-down jeans._

_He was saying something to her... She couldn't quite make it out... But whatever it was, it gave her an extremely uneasy feeling, and she knew it would be best to stay far away. But you couldn't outrun him, no matter how hard you tried. He would always be there._

_They stood for some time. Konata found she was now unable to move even an inch. The red eyes burned into her own, and his voice grew louder. It echoed throughout the empty street. The buildings in the distance aged rapidly and fell into ruin. The clouds grew even thicker as the wind reached hurricane-like force._

Konata's eyes opened. Her heart was pounding. This was her dorm room back in Iwatodai, she hadn't really been back home... But of course she hadn't. It was still dark outside, probably early in the morning. A dog was barking somewhere. There was a low sound of traffic. Something about that dream had been so real that she just couldn't shake it. Sleep wasn't something Konata was used to, especially not at night in her own bed, and whenever she did go to sleep she never remembered her dreams. The details of this dream were still so clear, unfading, except for whatever the dark man had told her.

What had it been about?

Ignoring that for now, Konata stood up and walked over to the computer. She pushed everything else out of her mind. It was no use trying to get back to sleep now. Only two hours left until she'd have to wake up to go to school, get to class, and _then_ she'd have some time for sleep. For now... Nothing but her and Innocent Sin Online. She grinned. It was almost like the old days.

* * *

Chapter 19

All You've Seen Has Gone

* * *

Exam results were posted out in the hall, but Konata didn't really care. Her grades didn't matter. School only served as a way to integrate herself into this universe, get closer to the people she was working with. There was no need to pay attention in class, go to cram school to prepare for the crushingly difficult university entrance exams, or generally put forth any kind of effort. She wasn't going to college. From the looks of things, Murakami Emiri was turning out to be even more of a slacker than Izumi Konata had ever been.

As she passed by the crowd of students gathered around the bulletin board, however, she heard Mitsuru call her name.

"Murakami, I'm impressed," she said. "I guess you did take some time to study after all."

"Huh? What - ?" Konata hadn't done any studying. There hadn't even been an all-night cram session this time.

"Look at your score. You're in the top twenty-five percent of our class." This was unusual, Mitsuru was speaking to her without the usual condescending tone.

Mitsuru pointed out her score on the list. She was right, apparently most of the answers that Konata had blindly guessed on turned out to be correct. Some people were already looking at her, one of them gave her a "congratulations." Konata feared she might be identified as one of the smart, dependable kids now...

"Now, if you could get that score up, it would be even better. You still don't seem to be paying much attention during class," Mitsuru said.

"It's just osmosis. I must be absorbing all the answers while I sleep." Konata was grinning, but Mitsuru didn't appreciate the humor.

"Fighting the Shadows is an important job, but you still have to be thinking about your future. Do you have any plans for your life after high school?" Konata's smile quickly vanished as she realized she was getting a lecture. "Our high school lives are coming to an end. You need to be prepared for your life ahead."

Konata thought for a moment. Actually, if she was still taking after her mother and not showing any significant growth (in any direction), she could continue going to high school for years to come if she so desired. And other than that, maybe she'd do some more missions in fantasy worlds, or get around to learning how to pilot giant robots. She had always intended to do that at some point.

And she knew that Mitsuru was only going to be inheriting her father's position as the CEO of a huge corporation. Boring and businesslike. Well, that was fitting, but Konata almost felt sorry for her.

"Actually, I do have some plans..." Konata said. "But as for right now, I was actually just on my way to the school store, so I guess I'll see you later." She turned her back to the crowd of students around the results board and headed towards the entrance hall.

* * *

It was after school on a Saturday. The weather was good, so Konata had decided to head out to Pawlonia Mall for some supplies for the team. The pharmacy carried a variety of items they used to treat injuries from their Shadow battles, and the police station cooperated with them to provide weapons. It was so nice of Officer Kurosawa to trust a bunch of teenagers with swords and the like. The only hard part was walking out of the station with them unnoticed.

They had a plan for this. She was carrying a large shopping bag, giving the appearance of having bought tons of clothes, but really she had stopped at the dorm and picked it up, already full, before heading out. Now there was a rapier, a beautifully crafted bow, and some brass knuckles hidden beneath all the merchandise. As long as she went straight back, nobody would notice she carried all of those in the bottom.

Interesting, the things they never explained in video games.

She heard "Koi no Mikuru Densetsu" start playing, coming from her pocket. She had a phone call, probably somebody asking her to pick up something else for them while she was out.

Instead, a woman's voice that she had never heard before, speaking quickly and to the point. "Hello, is this Izumi Konata?"

"Yes..." Hearing her real name explained a lot about the caller already. "Who is this?"

"I represent the Eclipse organization. You are currently working with a student by the name of Iori Junpei. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, he's from this world. He doesn't know anything about the organization, though..."

"He has become a person of interest. If you consider him qualified, you now have the authorization to recruit him into the organization. We are leaving it to your jurisdiction." The official-sounding vocabulary and lack of emotion suggested a routine, maybe a script. The PR department?

"Okay..." Junpei was allowed to join? Wouldn't he be in for a surprise... "I understand. Is that all?"

There was a click and a dial tone. Yes, that was all.

She closed her phone and picked up the shopping bag again, the handle straining under the hidden weight. This was going to be her first time recruiting somebody. Rei had been on her first mission, that one time that they had worked together, but someone else had been sent to introduce her to the organization. Working on her first mission had been all Konata had done with her. Who knows how much training she might have had before that.

So how had Jason recruited her, those years ago? Konata figured it would probably be a lot like that. And she already knew Junpei had combat ability. There was no need to test him on that. Where should she take him for the first mission, then?

There was also all the explanation of this being a video game - well, a world _identical_ to a video game, to be technical, not literally the game itself - as well as her real name. And Junpei already had some experience with Lucky Star. That complicated things.

All the possibilities still ran through her mind even as she took the train back to Iwatodai, and made the hike back to the dorm as evening set in.

Tomorrow was Sunday, they had the day off and could sleep in if they wanted. Things were looking good as far as going to Tartarus tonight was concerned. And hopefully new weapons were as exciting to everyone else as they were to her... The anticipation brought a smile to her face.

* * *

"Thessalus!" Jason called, as he raised the Evoker to his temple and fired. The loud bang was accompanied by what appeared to be shards of glass coming from the other side of his head, fading into nothing after several seconds.

His Persona appeared, a golden-caped warrior bearing a heavy lance and intricately detailed shield, its skin appearing like living metal. It wore a crested helmet. It struck out at the enemy, a nine-foot-tall stone giant, and vanished, its job done. Konata dashed in from behind to finish it off with a precision strike from her own blade.

She was interested in his Persona. It was the Hermit arcana, and from some research she had done that signified isolation, understanding, and, more fittingly, guidance. That seemed to fit Jason pretty well. Her own, on the other hand... The Star was associated with optimism, calmness, and, more confusingly, regeneration of both the subconscious and the material world. Whatever _that_ meant. Maybe she was looking too far into it, but it couldn't just be because the arcana matched the name of her anime.

"That's the last one on this floor. Let's keep going," Minato said. It snapped Konata out of her train of thought.

Mitsuru had joined them on the combat front now, her role as observer and team manager taken by a new addition, a girl with short turquoise hair by the name of Yamagishi Fuuka. Unlike Jason and Konata, Fuuka was a new addition who actually came from this world.

They had made considerable progress in Tartarus since Konata had first joined, this current section was unrecognizable as the school. Turquoise floor tiles surrounded a tarnished gold path running down the centers of the hallways, strange rectangular and arched designs covered the walls. A wide teal-colored stairway, with no railing on the sides, stood before them, and they ran up to get to the next floor.

Everything seemed to be in a haze for a while, and when it cleared, Konata could see that she was alone suddenly. It was like the other three had vanished, leaving her alone. This just happened every once in a while, it wasn't anything new or unexpected. The hall stretched out in front of her, and it was too dark to see where it ended.

"Emiri! Are you there?" Fuuka's voice, thick with worry. Her Persona's ability was similar to Mitsuru's, but much more accurate. She could see to floors of the tower farther away than Mitsuru had been able to.

"Yeah, I'm here. Everything's alright. What happened?" Konata spoke to the open air, she couldn't see Fuuka's face when she spoke to them.

"I can't see your position very well at the moment. It seems everyone's been separated. Um... attempt to regroup. I'll try to find the others." With that, she stopped talking, and Konata assumed the link had been broken for the time being.

As Fuuka's voice faded, an idea formed in Konata's mind. She glanced at her sword, a crudely-decorated piece of steel about three feet long, going dull on one edge from overuse and low-quality forging. Compared to this, the most basic medieval swords looked stylish and awesome. She had been considering switching it for something else for a while now, and as long as she wasn't being watched...

She dropped it clattering on the floor, and brought out Laevateinn. Sliding the strap of the sheath over her back, she drew her sword, admiring the beautiful flames as they burst forth, feeling the heat radiating out. The hilt felt comfortable in her hand.

There were a few more unfortunate enemies coming out of the darkness of the corridor now. They were heavily armored, with yellow-masked faces and thick metal rods for arms, the approximate thickness of tree trunks. Just one of the forms Shadows took in this region. Usually these things in particular were such a hassle to fight. Not today.

First she drew her Evoker to summon Pandora. Her Persona shot a blast of icy wind towards the two shadows, catching them off guard. Then, while they were stunned by the force of the first attack, Konata followed up with Laevateinn, the Shadows offering little resistance against the enchanted blade, the scorching flames slicing through them easily compared to the relative weakness of steel. They burst into formless dark shapes, and faded.

God, she loved this sword...

Konata continued down the hall, not seeing any branching paths for now. Or any of her team members, for that matter. She hadn't returned Laevateinn to its sheath, she carried it in her left hand, held out to the side.

She heard footsteps coming up. A moment later, Jason nearly ran straight into her from around a corner.

"There you are." He approached her, then paused, seeing the sword she carried. "What? I thought I told you about that. Put it away before someone sees you."

"I don't think so... As a matter of fact, I specifically remember you could find and use this exact sword in Persona 3, and that means that it's not against this universe's set of rules." Konata gave a satisfied grin. Her otaku knowledge saved the day. Or at least managed to make this mission more entertaining for her.

"Are you serious? So how are you going to explain that to everyone else?" Jason asked.

As if on cue, Mitsuru caught up with them. "Good. Have you seen Minato yet? And - " She paused. "Emiri, what _is_ that?" She stared at the flaming sword in Konata's hand.

"I found it."

"You... _what?_" Mitsuru's eyes were wide, examining the weapon. It was odd to see her show this kind of amazement at anything. "I see. Can you use it?"

"Yeah, it works pretty well." Konata shrugged.

Minato ran up from another direction, his sword held up over his right shoulder. He stopped as he saw them. "Do we have everyone? Let's - Emiri, what _is_ that?"

Jason gave an exasperated sigh, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"A sword. I found it," Konata repeated.

"You just _found_ it? Just lying around?"

"Not exactly, it was in a chest... We've found weapons before, it's no big deal. Let's just keep going."

"Alright, then..." Minato said. "The stairs were just back this way. Follow me."

* * *

Even on Monday, two days after the excursion, everyone still seemed exhausted. They had run right up to the time limit of an hour, almost not making it out before the Dark Hour ended. Minato had been fighting to stay awake throughout class, and now that it was lunch he seemed ready to fall over on the table.

"Hey, Minato. You got the notes from Toriumi-sensei's lecture, right? I didn't quite get all of it..." Junpei sighed. "When are we ever going to need to speak English, anyway?"

Minato scratched his head, not looking up. "Today...? Actually, I wasn't paying attention either..." He yawned. "We were working way too hard last time we went to Tartarus... I'm still feeling it. Probably won't make that mistake again."

"Hey, maybe Jason'll help you with it," Yukari suggested. "I'm sure that kind of homework is simple for an American."

"Yeah, I bet... But can you believe it, though? There must be Persona users all over the world, and if he hadn't come here... I never really thought about it, but the Dark Hour is a worldwide thing, and this city just happens to be the center of it? Isn't that crazy?" Junpei said.

"I'm glad he came here. He is pretty good at fighting them. Just last night, we were really on a roll," Minato said. "And then there was that sword that Emiri found..."

"Huh? I didn't hear anything about that. What's special about it?" Junpei leaned forward, curious.

"You didn't get to see it yet? Oh, that's right." Minato seemed to be waking up. "So we all got separated on one of the floors. You've seen how Tartarus does that sometimes. Well, wherever Emiri got to, she found some sort of fire sword... Seriously, the blade is on _fire._ And that's what she's using now."

Yukari was stunned. "Seriously? Isn't that... dangerous? I mean, it _is_ really cool and all, but -"

They heard door slide open. Minato turned his head to look. "Speaking of which, here she is now."

Emiri had her usual carefree expression. Whenever she wasn't fighting, she just seemed so relaxed and content. She was even that way when she _was_ fighting, come to think of it. As she walked through the classroom, Junpei couldn't help but notice that she was, in fact, shorter than all of these students who were a year below her. She pulled up a chair and sat down across the table from him.

"Hey guys," she said. "So what's going on?"

"You seriously just found a fire sword lying on the ground in Tartarus?" Junpei asked.

"Oh, that," Emiri said with a grin. "Yeah, I'm quite proud of that."

Junpei gaped at her. "How do you even _use_ something like that?"

"It sounds kind of dangerous," Yukari added.

"Well, I found it with a cover, so if you put it in that the flames go out until you use it again. And I'm already a really great swordfighter, if I do say so myself." Emiri sounded cocky, but for those who had seen her in battle, they knew she wasn't exaggerating. "Anyway, I actually came here to talk to you." She turned over to Junpei, and leaned forward on the desk.

"Me? What's it about?"

Emiri was looking around nonchalantly. "Oh, you know... What are your plans? A few days ago you were talking about how you felt like fighting Shadows was all you were really good at."

That was right, he had been. Junpei didn't get good grades, not only as a result of not studying but also because he just didn't understand how to. It wasn't his thing. And anything artistic or creative was out, that was for sure. But during the Dark Hour, he could really kick some ass. "No idea... I guess I haven't been thinking about it much."

"Shouldn't _you_ be the one thinking about your future, miss Senior Year Student? Besides, you're pretty much the same way," Yukari said.

"Yeah, well..." Emiri paused to take a bite. Her lunch was a choco cornet, as always. It was a quirk they had gotten used to. Maybe that was how she stayed so small, she hardly ever ate a full lunch. "That's part of why I was asking. I've got... a little something planned out, but I was just curious. You know."

A "little something," maybe, but she wasn't saying anything else. And what plans could someone as lazy as her possibly have? You had to wonder.

"So anyway, maybe the two of us could meet up after school today. That sound good?" Emiri's good cheer had returned.

"T-today? Well, um..." Junpei stalled. "Sorry. The coach has been working us really hard. You were the one who told me I should join kendo team, remember?"

"That I did..." Emiri paused, remembering. "It's fine. Just whenever you have time, I've got something I want to tell you about."

Emiri was really starting to sound weird now. She wanted to talk to him alone? About what? She wasn't giving any hints, and all this talk about his plans for the future and everything... Junpei couldn't even begin to imagine where she was going with all this. Sure, he'd find some time to meet up somewhere. Why just the two of them, though?

* * *

After school, Konata returned to the dorm in the late afternoon. It was quiet in the lounge area as she entered.

"Hey, you're back already," Jason said, turning his head to see who had come in. He was sitting on the sofa by himself, reading a book.

"Yeah. You the only one here?"

"At the moment."

"Good..." She walked over and sat in one of the chairs. "I've been meaning to ask you about something... Two days ago, I got permission to recruit Junpei to the organization."

"Seriously?" His attention had turned away from his novel completely and he sat straight up. "So have you told him anything yet or not?"

"I'm still waiting to get a chance to talk to him when nobody else is around," Konata replied. "I just haven't gotten the chance yet. But I think he'd be pretty good at it."

Jason thought for a moment. That was true, Junpei had improved even as they'd been here in this universe watching him. "Maybe if we all met up... Just the three of us. We could invite him somewhere, Wild Duck Burger or something like that." He placed a bookmark and, closing his novel, set it down on the table. "So anyway... You were at art club today, weren't you?"

"Yeah. Fuuka and Minato are members. I thought it sounded fun." Konata shrugged.

"Is it just me, or does that not seem like you? Back at Ryoo you never wanted to join any extracurriculars. Then we come here, and you're in just about everything."

"Well... that was different, I don't know." She scratched her head. "Back when I played this game I joined all the clubs I could. I guess I wanted to experience the real thing. So what are you doing here all by yourself?"

"Studying." He noticed her eyes shifting to the novel sitting on the table, which appeared to be some sort of paranormal-mystery bestseller, and added, "Before you got here, at least. It's still not easy fitting into a student life for me."

"Were you getting all this attention back at Ryoo when you were a transfer student? It's crazy, it's like everyone at school knows me." Konata sighed happily. "Being popular is a really new experience for me."

They both looked up as they heard the front door open again. Akihiko, wearing his familiar red sweater vest and a jacket slung over his shoulder, stood at the door. Konata let out a faint sigh. She had been hoping it might be Junpei, but no luck.

"Hey. Just you guys?" Akihiko asked.

"Yeah," Jason nodded. "So how was practice?"

"Too easy. These other guys just aren't putting in enough effort." Akihiko shook his head sadly. "Nothing like you two. You always seem to be on top of things, at least as far as training goes. Maybe you've just spoiled me."

"Hey, Akihiko. Are we set to go to Tartarus tonight?" Konata asked, eagerly.

Akihiko looked shocked. "What? Of course not... We just went two days ago. I'm all for getting some training in, but don't push yourself."

* * *

That night, the rest of the team had decided not to go to Tartarus, and Konata really didn't want to go to sleep. It was either go on the computer or look to see what minor missions were available from Eclipse, something she could complete in a few hours. Tonight she'd choose the latter.

After typing in numerous passwords on her phone to get past all the security measures, she checked the side mission list. Skip over anything she wasn't familiar with. The majority weren't even recognizable as movies or famous stories, and other than that most of these seemed to be foreign action movies she didn't care about.

Konata laid on her bed, the lights off, staring at the dimly backlit screen. An expression of dull boredom was on her face. What was there to do tonight...? She continued scrolling down the list.

She stopped suddenly when she saw something that caught her eye. It almost stopped her heart. She sat straight up and read it several times over, the description, the date, the location...

_The location..._

But this mission wasn't set to go until two days later. Checking the description, it had a few notes. _Advance Notice: High-Risk Mission. Seeking multiple volunteers._

They may be "seeking multiple volunteers" but they obviously wouldn't want Konata working on this one. Still... What should she do?

The image of the dark man... those crimson eyes, the graffiti she had seen on that coffee shop in Stovington, her dream from all those days ago. It all went through her mind. Something was going to happen, and all the signs pointed to the fact that she couldn't leave this for someone else to take care of. It wasn't that she didn't trust Jason to handle it for her, it was just... She couldn't really explain it. Two days? She'd think it over then, but she already knew there was only one answer. It would be best to not even _mention_ this to Jason.

And to think, she had almost finished her senior year this time.


	20. Devils Never Cry

It felt like so much was coming to an end. There was no need too worry about entrance exams anymore, everyone had passed those. Kagami was proud of how hard Tsukasa had worked on studying, and they had somehow survived cram school together. That had been hard. Their senior year had already ended as well. And - the one thing nobody was glad to be done with - this would be the last time that the three of them would be able to just get together and hang out like this.

Kagami was going to a law school all the way in Nagoya. Around the time she started high school she started to consider a career as a lawyer, and the time had come to start making that goal a reality. All the arrangements had been made, she managed to get accepted and had started getting ready for the move into a dorm over the past week or two.

Tsukasa, on the other hand... She had found a culinary institute in Kobe, miles away from Kagami's school. Would she be okay living on her own, without Kagami to help her? They had never been separated before, for more than a day or two, at the most. She was sure they'd be calling back and forth nearly every night. If not even more often than that.

It would be difficult to adjust, that was for sure. For both of them. Nobody she knew from Ryoo was going to Nagoya with her, so Kagami would be alone. At least until she met some new friends over there. She hoped.

And nobody was really surprised when Miyuki was accepted into Tokyo University. Sure, it was a difficult school to get into, but this was Miyuki, it had been no problem for her. Her major was going to be in the medical field. They were all going into such great career paths...

And that brought up the painful memory of what had happened to Konata. If she were still alive... Where would she be going? Would she have even passed the entrance exam? It was harder than any other test they had ever taken. An all-night study session wouldn't have cut it. But Kagami smiled faintly, remembering how Konata had always seemed to pull off miracles. She would have gotten into some university, maybe as an artist or a game developer or something along those lines. But not anymore...

"Sis? You okay?" Tsukasa's voice brought Kagami back to the present. They were enjoying this day before they'd all split off, all over the country. For now they were right here in one of their old favorite restaurants in Akihabara, all sitting around the same table. The three of them.

"Yeah... I was just thinking about her again." There was no need to say who.

"I've thought about her lately as well," Miyuki said. She tried to remain her usual calm, polite self, but there was something behind that front that made it evident how much Konata's death affected her. "I wonder what her plans were for after school."

"I dunno..." Kagami said. She tried to lighten the mood."Look, let's not worry about her anymore... There's nothing we can do to change it. Let's just focus on right now. Besides, who knows when we'll all get to do this again?"

* * *

Chapter 20

Mist of Resolving

* * *

A layer of dust covered countless game cases, anime figurines, and shelves still packed with manga. The door was closed, the lights turned off. Only some sunlight shining through the window lit Konata's old bedroom.

Konata looked around for some time after she arrived, inspecting everything. Nothing had been moved, nothing at all. Her dad hadn't wanted to clean this place out. She hadn't expected him to. Everything was just as she had left it on that day. Even the books that she had been reading sat in the same place. It really did seem it had been a lifetime ago since she was last here.

Konata had come prepared for business, though. On her back she carried Laevateinn, in its ornate sheath, and a large shotgun crossed over it in the shape of an X. The gun was a powerful model, something that likely wouldn't be invented for about another century. It was a souvenir from some mission a long time ago. She was wearing a long flowing black coat over her red T-shirt and jeans. All of it, the coat especially, admittedly only served the purpose of looking cool. As long as she was going to drop in, take care of whatever it was that was going to attack in the next 2 hours, and most likely get fired, she might as well do it all in style.

It was silent back here in the Izumi residence. She almost wondered if it still _was_ the Izumi residence, realizing the possibility that her dad could have moved away. She hoped not, the entire reason for starting out from her room was so that she could see him before going into the city. She had to apologize.

Sliding the door open - it stuck for a moment, suffering from disuse - she looked out into the hallway, dark, just like her room had been, although without the layer of dust. Konata could feel her heart pounding, from excitement, anticipation, fear... Not fear of the imminent demon invasion, that was no problem, but of why the house was so quiet.

"Dad...?" she called out, a little weakly. There was no response. "Yu-chan?"

She checked his bedroom. It was a wreck, even more than its usual slobbish state. It seemed fresh enough to suggest that he was still living here. That was a relief. But he wasn't in here right now, so Konata decided to keep looking. Checking the clock, it was almost noon. The attack was going to be sometime around one in the afternoon, and she intended to be there when it started.

Heading to the living room, she could begin to hear the muffled sound of the TV - it was turned to the news, she heard the date announced as March 30. What year was it? Was it 2007 now...? Probably. As Konata thought back to all she had been through, she realized she still couldn't have been gone more than a year.

Now she could see the light of the TV illuminating a mostly dark room, full of old newspapers, magazines, empty cups of noodles... And her dad was sleeping on the couch. Both he and the room were in a sorry state. Had she done this to him? It was worse than she could have imagined.

"Um... Dad, I'm home. Wake up," she said. She almost made it sound like nothing was strange about this situation.

"Hm?" He shifted a little and yawned. "Yutaka, that you already? Sorry, I didn't hear - " He stopped when his eyes opened and he saw her standing in front of him. "Konata... How are you - ?"

She could barely stand it. All this guilt. "I'm really sorry, Dad... I made a mistake."

He sat up quickly. "No, it's not your fault, you couldn't have done anything - "

"No, you don't understand. I'm not dead. That was all fake. I just..." How did she explain it? Any way she tried to say it, it wouldn't sound good. Now that she was here, the entire thing just seemed so selfish. "It's too hard to explain. And I need to get going, there's this thing - "

"Konata..." He stood up, stepping forward to hold her tight. He didn't seem to care about how she had returned, he was just overjoyed to see her alive and hear her voice. He also didn't mention the weapons on her back even as his arms brushed against them, and pulled her close against him.

"Dad, that's - " She could barely choke out the words, though admittedly she was just as happy as he was to be back home again. "That's a little... too tight..."

"Oh, I'm... I'm so sorry..." He let go reluctantly, not taking his eyes off her. He still couldn't believe what he was seeing, or that she was real, physically standing there. "But... Konata, you can't leave again!"

"Don't worry. I'll come back... I promise." She laughed a bit to herself. "No doubt about that... They're never going to take me back now." Then something else occurred to her. "So, um... Where's Yu-chan?"

Her dad scratched his head. "Uh, let's see... She was going... She said she was going out with her friend, that Iwasaki girl... And her other friend was going with her, Tamura. After... what happened to you, I wouldn't let her go out there on her own... Just wait here, she'll be back soon."

Konata was in shock. "No, that's probably too close to where..." If those three were out somewhere, then what would happen to them? "I need to get going right away. I'll find them, don't worry." She glanced at the TV, the news still onscreen with the volume turned down to a low murmur. "And... No matter what you see, I'll be fine on my own. I promise I'll come back when it's all over."

There was no more time to be wasted. She bolted for the front door without another word.

* * *

"Excuse me, officer."

Officer Yui Narumi was currently on patrol in the city. She turned around as she heard the voice call for her. Helping out the citizens was, after all, her most important duty. Especially after what had happened a year ago.

It was a man in a blue suit, with a frizzy afro hairstyle. He appeared to be a foreigner, although she couldn't exactly determine where he might be from. America, maybe. His voice kind of had that drawling accent, although his Japanese was good enough to be native.

"You're the local law enforcement, if I'm correct," he said. He had a smooth and very laid-back temperament, although he kept glancing away and towards the sky in the east like he was expecting something to happen there. The sky was clear and sunny, so Yui had no idea what he might be looking for.

"Yes, I am. What did you need, sir?"

"If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to recommend you start evacuating people right now." His carefree attitude didn't shake much in making the request. "Just trust me on this. You'll be glad you did."

"What are you saying? We can't evacuate people for no reason, there'd be panic, you can't just -"

"I didn't say it was for no reason. But you probably wouldn't believe what reason I have even if I told you. I figured I might as well try, so... can you send the request through or something?"

Avoiding panic, defending the citizens... These were all very important to Officer Narumi, considering what had happened to her cousin not far from this area. They were important as long as there was actually a threat, though, which there simply wasn't. Her dedication to the police force had increased dramatically in the past year. Things like this had to be taken seriously. But who was this guy to just suggest they clear out all these people?

"I don't know what kind of a stunt you're tying to pull - "

He sighed, ran his fingers through his hair. Then he raised his head again. "Look, this'll probably sound crazy to you, but there's supposed to be a massive invasion of demons today. I'd say clear out the entire city. As much as you possibly can." His nonchalant tone didn't change at all.

Yui stared at him in shock. "What kind of a joke is this? I'm sorry, sir, but I don't have time for this."

"Really? That's a shame. Just remember, I _did_ try to warn you." He glanced upwards again, at that same point in the sky. Following his gaze, Yui could see that... There was still absolutely nothing there. "I suppose they don't want me saying anything more than that..."

She examined him again, closer than before, and saw...

"Sir, are you carrying a weapon?" Yes, there seemed to be something in his left jacket pocket.

He turned back to her, an innocent expression on his face. "Oh, well, of course. I'm just here to help against the invasion. Too bad you're not doing your part, but I've got it covered."

As if he was entirely unaware of Japanese law, he flashed a handgun of impressive size at her from the inside of his jacket, and quickly put it back. Yui's eyes were wide in shock, she'd never apprehended someone like this before. And carrying a handgun in the middle of Tokyo... Someone like that had been the one who had -

She acted quickly, grabbing his arms and cuffing him in the split second he took to watch the sky again. "Sir, you're going to have to come down to the station with me. And I don't want to hear any more of this bullshit about demons."

The man with the afro stared at her in shock, looking down at the cuffs then back up at her. "What? I - " He calmed down, and simply said, "Go ahead. But you'll uncuff me once it starts, I'm sure."

"If that ever really happens? Of course I will." What did he take her for, anyway? Did he really expect her to believe such a story?

Officer Narumi was proud of her ability to play bad cop when it was necessary.

* * *

The old train station. Konata had memories of this place, waiting to go to school each morning or taking it over to the Hiiragi residence. She'd just take the next available train, ride it all the way to the Yamanote area. In theory, she could just use the Talisman to jump to some other world, then come back here right in Shibuya, the dead center of the predicted attack. But just supposing she was caught, she wouldn't be able to come back... It was best to stay in this world.

Would she be staying here forever, then? She'd just be trapped here... Once you'd seen what worlds were out there, having to live in one world did seem like being trapped. Why was she risking that? And why didn't it worry her as much as it should?

The station was crowded as usual as she approached. Just like she remembered it. It was the early afternoon, and there were a few clusters of high school students around, in casual clothing. Maybe it was spring break. So... her friends would have graduated. Konata wondered where they were now. Hopefully they weren't in the city.

Coming up into the station itself, she saw a train on the tracks now... People were packed inside. The doors were closing. It started moving.

"No way... You've gotta be kidding me," Konata muttered. Making her way through the crowd, she picked up speed, starting into a run.

The train was slowly accelerating. She sprinted straight towards the side of the train, gaining unnatural speed, narrowly avoiding running into some of the bystanders, then finally jumping up a good ten feet away from the side of the train, pulling out her sword in midair, and landing on top of the last car a split second before it would have been past, stabbing through the roof leaving only the hilt of the sword showing.

She gripped the hilt as tight as she could, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to hang on as the train accelerated. They didn't call it "high-speed rail" for nothing. With some difficulty, she managed to break through the roof of the train car, dropping down into the center to some very startled passengers. Ignoring them, she calmly returned the sword to its scabbard and put a hand on one of the poles to catch her breath.

"Uh..." There was a woman, maybe in her 30s or so, staring up at the sky through the hole in the ceiling and then looking back down at Konata. "Why did you..."

"Admit it, sometimes you just don't feel like waiting for the next one to come by, right?" Konata said.

"But you..."

"Yes, I realize I caused some damage to public property, and maybe that jump shouldn't have been physically possible... But you'll thank me for this later." She turned back to the window, surveying the city.

* * *

"Alright, I'll have those ready for you soon." The waitress left the table.

"So like I was saying - " Kagami stopped as her phone rang. "Hang on a minute." She pulled it out and checked the screen, the table falling silent as she read the text message.

"Who is it from?" Tsukasa asked.

Kagami smiled. "It's Misao. She says she and Ayano are feeling left out. Do you guys mind if I invite her over?"

"That would be fine," Miyuki said.

That was when it arrived.

There was a sound of something exploding and bursting apart several miles away, with enough force to be heard and felt all over the city. The three of them were thrown back from the force. Plates of food slid off the tables, the windows facing the street shattered as the pavement itself was torn in half. The lights flickered and died. Cars rolled down the slanted ground. The crack branched out from the road and split the floor of the restaurant. It felt like the tremors must have gone on for an hour, but they only lasted ten minutes. Only.

Even after the shaking stopped, nobody moved, and the only sounds were some car alarms and water spraying from busted pipelines.

"Wh-what was _that?_" Kagami said, finally looking up from the floor. The building had been wrecked. They were lucky to be alive.

Tsukasa was covering her ears, trembling. She didn't say a word, but looked up slowly as she heard her sister's voice. It was still very silent.

"I... think it could have been an earthquake, there is a fault line right underneath Tokyo. Nothing of this magnitude, though. Was it... It had to have been at least an eight point zero." Miyuki tried her best to stay logical, but she had never experienced anything like this. There were rumors of such a thing happening. This was possibly a world record for level of destruction, and here they were in the middle of it.

Finally Tsukasa found the ability to speak. "What should we do? We need to get home... Is it... over...?"

"Let's not be too hasty. It could still be dangerous." Miyuki stood up, bracing herself on the table. Her legs were shaking and nearly unable to hold her. She turned towards the window. People were standing back up on their feet if they were able. Instead of looking at the wide split in the ground, though, they seemed to be looking towards...

"Huh? What's going on out there?" Kagami said.

Miyuki only felt curiosity now, the unfamiliar feeling of witnessing an event like this firsthand. She headed towards the door to the street, which was partially intact. Stepping outside, she followed the gaze of the other bystanders up towards the sky in the east, and saw something she simply could not understand.

"What is it?" Kagami said, coming up behind her.

A gargantuan black tower had appeared in the direction that the tremor seemed to originate from. Even against the now-ruined skyscrapers, it was massive. The peak, which seemed to stand miles above the ground, had strange sculptures around the edge which were mere dots against the sky when viewed from this distance. Dark red clouds were beginning to form around it.

"No way... That..." Kagami stared at it, not believing what was in front of her own eyes. "How could something like that...?"

"It... appears to have come out of the ground... So it wasn't just an earthquake?" Miyuki said.

"No, that's impossible. Nothing like that could have been underground. And how would it have... come up like that? It can't really be there. It's impossible..." Kagami was shaking her head, not wanting to believe it.

Tsukasa had managed to join them. "Sis... I really think we should go home..."

* * *

Konata saw the tower appear while still on the train. Looking past some tall apartments as they passed by, the tower was hard to miss. She had to admit, that was quite a way to make an entrance. Had she seen this before? It seemed familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it. Once it had appeared, the brakes had set in and the train came to a screeching halt. It was nothing short of a miracle that the track itself hadn't been torn apart by the force. But now there was the issue of getting into the city.

The inside of the car had deteriorated into complete panic. Konata, having arrived so dramatically, bearing weapons, now realized she was being held in suspicion. Most of the passengers who had been trying to ignore her were now glancing nervously in her direction.

"Everyone, calm down," she tried to say, but was drowned out by the babble and confusion. It was no use trying to keep the peace now... This had quickly turned into damage control, nothing more.

How to escape... The rails might still be electrified. It was a bad idea to try to step out. But the longer she stood here, the more damage could be done to the city. And whoever might currently be stuck there. She hoped nobody she knew was in the middle of it all... If the chaos was this bad all the way out here, who knew what it must be like in the Yamanote circle?

She took out her sword again, causing people around her to step back from the sudden burst of flame as it was drawn from the sheath. Thrusting it into the space between the doors, she managed to pry them open, fighting against their resistance until they eventually snapped open.

Returning Laevateinn to her back, Konata examined the distance. She jumped out, clearing the rails to land on the very edge of the elevated track. She put her arms out to balance herself, rocking dangerously close to the rails behind her. It was about twenty feet to the road below, but she dropped down easily. This was going to cost her some time... She really should have started out inside the center of the metropolis, she could have gone home after everything cleared up... Or not gone home at all, and maybe keep her job...

But what had Eclipse done? They knew this was coming at least two days before it actually happened. If they even cared about all the lives at stake, they could have sent a warning, had the city cleared out before any damage occurred. Were they just sending out people to take care of it at the last minute? Why?

Maybe it was too late to save the city itself. All she could hope for was that all the people she knew would be okay... What were the chances of finding Yutaka in all this, if she was in fact in the city at all? If someone, _anyone,_ could at least find her and keep her safe...

Nothing she could do about it now except to keep running.

* * *

This building, until just a half hour ago, had been a department store. Now, the walls were smashed to pieces, and a car had driven through the front windows. The back end had caught fire. Miyuki noticed the risk. It could explode at any minute, and advised her friends to get past quickly on the other side of the street. From what she had read about survivors of disasters, it was important to keep a level head, and identify the risks. There were things like that car, there was the structural damage and the general state of panic causing people to make irrational decisions...

"Come on, please pick up, Dad..." She could hear Kagami trying to call home. It was her fourth attempt now. The cell phone reception was bad, almost completely nonexistent. "Huh? Oh, Matsuri, thank God! ...Yeah, we're in the city right now. We're fine... We're on our way home... No, don't come out here. It's no use, the roads are... Matsuri? Are you still there? I can't hear..." She waited some time, then grimaced and closed the phone. "No good. I just lost the signal."

It was a mad scramble to leave the city as quickly as possible. Those who had cars would attempt to drive them down what was left of the road. Traffic was thick, all going in the same direction, and it really wasn't any faster than getting away on foot. With all the rubble blocking the way, traffic laws were being ignored.

They had turned onto a smaller street and taken a different route, trying to get away from the crowds. It couldn't be safe for so many people to be that close together. What if a building collapsed, or something caught fire? That department store across the street couldn't be the only one in that kind of condition.

There were several people here now, but nowhere near as packed as the main road they had left. They were all headed the same direction.

Except for...

Now she could see a tall man moving against the flow. Admittedly, he was hard to miss. He was wearing a wide-brimmed red hat, and as he came closer, she could see he had a matching red trenchcoat as well. His eyes were hidden behind huge yellow sunglasses - goggles? - and his skin was deathly pale. His stringy black hair reached down to his shoulders.

The man was leisurely making his way towards the tower, without much difficulty. Everyone avoided getting in his way. People were afraid of him. He only smiled, his eyes hidden behind those goggles.

"Kagami-san... Do you see that?" Miyuki asked, looking towards him but not pointing.

Kagami followed her gaze. It really was hard to miss him. "Whoa... What's he doing? Is he crazy?"

Tsukasa came up behind them, but she wasn't paying attention. She stared at the ground, making a conscious effort not to look up at anyone if it could be avoided. The only thing she wanted was to follow them out of the city, as far away as possible from all this madness. But even she raised her head when they heard an awful shriek.

It wasn't a human sound. It was a high-pitched wail that accompanied a burst of brown and gray ash that appeared out of nowhere right behind them. Out of the corner of her vision, Miyuki could almost swear it took the form of a misshapen skull before it vanished within seconds.

In its place was a hunched figure in a black cloak. It had glowing yellow eyes on a dark, emotionless face. Miyuki could only stand watching it in strange fascination... She noted that it carried a long, crooked scythe. It resembled the traditional Western personification of Death, come to think of it... But that was only a legend, a symbol. Such things didn't really exist, and couldn't be standing there right now.

The creature's attention immediately turned to the tall man in the hat, who barely glanced up at it as it dashed forward crookedly and stabbed him directly in the chest. People screamed when they saw it.

"Oh my god..." Kagami said.

Strangely, the man simply stood there, unflinching, and with a widening grin on his face. His teeth were very white. No blood was flowing from the area that had been pierced. And then he spoke in a deep, calm voice. "About time one of you showed up."

With the blade of the scythe still in his chest, he grabbed hold of the creature's cloak, brought it close to him, then whipped out a huge handgun of some sort and shot it directly in the face. It dissolved back into dust as it fell to the ground, retaining its shape until it burst apart on the pavement.

"Hm. Any more out there?" the man said. "I'm waiting." He continued walking, ignoring the speechless crowd.

"What was _that?_" Kagami said.

"Um... We really need to get going, I don't like this..." Tsukasa was almost in tears now.

They hurried past the man in the hat as fast as they could manage. Nobody looked back to see what he would do next.

* * *

Jason was staring up at the tower once he arrived in the center of a packed street. At first the shocked faces of the witnesses worried him. Usually they were advised to enter a world in some secluded spot, where they could materialize without being seen, but then he realized that was the least of their worries.

"Well, that's certainly something new..." he mused.

"Dude... This is completely insane," Junpei said. His eyes were wide. "You're saying that Emiri is actually... And what the hell happened to us? I mean, we look like..." It seemed like he didn't want to admit it.

"You said you wanted to come," Jason replied simply.

"You didn't tell me anything about this!"

"I told you most of the basics. I didn't have time for all of it. I can't believe Konata would pull something like this..." He surveyed the street they had arrived on, one that he recognized from his time spent living here. They were in Nakano. His apartment had been here. It was probably a wreck now, but that didn't matter. "Our priority is to find her."

"All this time, she was actually an anime character? What the _hell?_" Junpei still hadn't recovered from the shock of all these new revelations, and the experience of travelling between universes for the first time.

"Your world isn't that much different. It's actually a video game." Jason readied his sword, hearing the sounds of chaos all around him. "But for now, we need to get moving. I have an idea of where she might have gone."

"A _video game? _What are you talking about?"

"Calm down. You'll get used to it." Jason paused. "And there are some things about Konata that you still aren't aware of."

"I could have told you that." Junpei grinned nervously, trying to make light of the situation. They heard some small explosions far off in the distance.

"I meant other than the obvious things. The point is, I really have no idea what could happen now. The possibilities really are endless. If she really wanted to be found, we'd have no problems. There are no coincidences. But I'm guessing that now she really doesn't want us to stop her, which will make things _much_ harder for us. But all we can do for now is try."

* * *

Once the creatures had started appearing, everything had dissolved into total panic.

Tsukasa was having trouble keeping up, even with her sister and Miyuki doing everything they could to slow down for her. With everyone in a hurry to get out, as fast as possible, there was little regard for the safety of others. People pushed through and separated them often, only concerned with saving themselves.

This kind of thing wasn't meant to happen in real life. Monsters and stuff like that. They were only supposed to be in movies, video games... They couldn't actually exist. Tsukasa wished she could still believe that.

"K-Kagami...?" Tsukasa said. She had lost sight of her again.

"Tsukasa!" Kagami turned around, spotted her, and hurried back with Miyuki following. "I'm sorry, I couldn't see where you were."

Was anyone else able to fight these things? There had been the guy in red, and as scary as he had been, it would be comforting to see others like him. Nobody else had a gun, or any sort of weapon. They hadn't even seen any police officers, and Miyuki had mentioned that it would be a long time before the Self Defense Force could be deployed.

Even more bursts of ash appeared around them, and out of each one a black cloaked monster identical to the first stepped out from the swirling dust. They advanced slowly, almost clumsily, but with the crowd so thick they had easy prey. Tsukasa had frozen in her tracks when she saw them appear again, unable to run, and one of them turned its sights on her.

It stumbled forward, swinging the scythe down and grazing her leg, falling just inches short of its mark. It intended to kill her. She felt a sharp pain, it was worse than anything she had experienced before. She cried out and fell on the ground. Kagami turned back in horror. As the thing rose its weapon again -

A jet of flame seemed to burst from its chest, and its head jerked upwards in shock. Tsukasa barely had time to recognize that the flames were in the shape of a blade... in fact, they were a blade, there was a girl with black hair all the way down her back using it as a sword.

She wore a long black coat, and there was some sort of huge gun on her back that she grabbed and used with her left hand, still holding the flame sword in her right. She was moving too fast to see any details, shooting the creatures left and right while fighting them as many as two at a time with the sword. They dissolved into ashes as she killed them, and finally she slowed to a stop as the last one fell and died.

The girl then returned both weapons to her back, making a bit of a flourish with the gun, and came over to Tsukasa, crouching down to look at where the scythe blade had cut her. That was when she finally recognized her. But it couldn't be...

"Tsukasa... I didn't expect to find you guys here. Are you okay? Hold still for a second." It was the first time she had heard Konata's voice since... It seemed like so long ago.

"Kona-chan? How..." It was unbelievable, it was unmistakably Konata who had just saved them. She held a hand over the gash in Tsukasa's leg, and some sort of weird green light was shining on it. The burning pain was beginning to fade, and the cut itself seemed to be closing.

"Konata-san, what... What are you doing?" Miyuki said, watching intently.

"No way..." Kagami said. "No, I just don't believe this. You're not supposed to be... You died a year ago, there's no way you could be here - "

"There. Can you stand?" Konata looked up at Tsukasa's face. Tsukasa looked back at her, eyes wide in shock. If Konata was here... no, Konata was dead, so that meant...

The painful realization hit hard and sudden. "Kona-chan, are we going to... die?" Tsukasa said, her voice weak with fear. A terrible image was coming to mind that as soon as Konata turned around, that bullet hole would be open in the back of her head, still bleeding... She tried to push that thought away.

"Huh? No, of course not, I'm trying to help you." Standing up and helping Tsukasa shakily to her feet, Konata took out the shotgun again and laid it causally against her left shoulder. She scanned the area, watching people as they would stare at her before they hurried on their way.

"Hold on, how do we even know you're really her?" Kagami said suddenly. "Nothing about this makes any sense. For all we know, you could be one of them. It could be a disguise or something. You just happened to show up when these things are showing up everywhere? It seems really suspicious."

"But I just killed about twenty of them," Konata said. "Isn't that enough proof? Honestly, Kagamin, I'm disappointed. I thought you'd all be happy to see me again..."

"I don't know... how you're here, but..." Miyuki hesitated a moment. "I trust you."

"Thanks, Miyuki-chan... I'm so sorry about what happened, I don't know what I was thinking. I really am sorry for making you guys worry. Can you just kind of... you know, forget about what happened to me?"

"But..." Kagami sighed, apparently choosing not to ask about that. "Konata, what are those things? And where did that tower come from?" She was still keeping some distance from Konata.

"Did any of you ever play Devil May Cry, by any chance?" Konata asked.

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?"

"Everything. This is exactly what happened in that game." She pointed upwards. "The tower is a portal into Hell, and - "

Tsukasa whimpered at the mention of a 'portal into Hell.'

Kagami gaped at her. "Huh? Oh my god, Konata, you don't mean you came from - "

"Of course not! You don't really think that lowly of me, do you? Seriously..." Konata shook her head with an expression of disappointment. "Look... You remember when we first met, right, Tsukasa? How I saved you from that foreign guy?"

Tsukasa nodded. She was beginning to feel safer.

"Well, these things are just like a bunch of foreigners. And these ones actually _are_ trying to hurt you guys... So I'm just here to defend you. Just like I did then."

* * *

Yutaka was feeling out of breath. Part of it was fear. They were all scared. Most of it was running. She wasn't used to so much physical exertion. She didn't have the constitution for it. With all that was going on, those things they had seen earlier, whatever they had been, she couldn't stop for a break, but that was gradually becoming the only option. The worst thing she could do was slow everyone else down...

"Yutaka, are you alright?" Minami asked.

"Y-yeah, I'll be..." She stopped to catch her breath. She really wasn't feeling good. "I... don't know."

"Come on, you guys! Minami, it's not much farther to your house, is it?" Hiyori shouted over the noise, running back to where the two of them had stopped.

"Is that safe? I mean, those things, they're still coming... What if they're already..." Yutaka didn't want to bring up that all-too-likely possibility.

They had all considered that this might have reached as far as the Iwasaki residence. It was a few streets down, but from here you could still see that tower, and there was just as much damage here as anywhere else. Was there anywhere left that was truly safe? The only break they were given was that these monsters that were appearing seemed half-blind and clumsy. They could try to outrun them, but not for much longer.

"We still need to stop there," Minami said. "I need to make sure that everyone's okay." It was an understandable concern.

They looked back up, towards the direction they were headed. That all-too-familiar cloud of dust appeared once again, the way that it was almost shaped like a skull... But this one didn't look like the others, it carried some sort of huge throbbing orange mass on its back. It moved slowly under the immense weight and moaned.

"What's_ that_ one?" Hiyori said. She took a step back, not taking her eyes off it.

"Is that another one of those things that just blows itself up? What a pain. These things are just annoying." They didn't recognize the new voice. It was devoid of fear, almost sounding excited. They turned around to see the speaker was a girl about their age. She was albino and wore a tan sweater vest, a school uniform from someplace they didn't recognize. It was dirty with ash and something that looked shockingly like blood. The girl smiled. "Hey, you're Yutaka, right? Konata-senpai's cousin."

"Huh? You... you knew Onii-chan?" Yutaka was shocked.

"Yeah, I - " She stopped, glanced up at the creature holding the glowing-hot orange glob. "Wait, everyone back up. This guy'll need some space."

As if they needed to be told. They quickly ran, the white-haired girl following behind them part of the way, then turning around and - Yutaka couldn't be sure if she saw this right - shot a burst of lightning out of her hand, hitting the creature and exploding on contact. From where they were standing, Yutaka could feel the extreme heat of it, but... everyone seemed to be fine, and it was gone now.

"Are you like... I don't know, some sort of superhero or something?" Hiyori asked, amazed. "And how did you know Yutaka's cousin?"

"My name's Ayanami Rei." She smiled at them, apparently not fazed by all these explosions and lightning and... everything. "Konata and me go way back... I figured since she couldn't be here, I'd help take care of all this. By the way, Yutaka, it's great to finally meet you for the first time."

"Uh... Th-thanks..." Yutaka was still staring at the smoking crater where the demon had been standing. How Ayanami had shot lightning out of her hand at it. Nothing made sense anymore.

"Huh? Ayanami... You don't mean like..." Hiyori seemed to be remembering something, although Yutaka couldn't guess what it would be, then dropped it. "Nevermind. Probably just a coincidence, that's all."

"So you guys need some help with these things?" Rei pulled out something from her pocket. There was a high-pitched buzzing sound, loud at first but then falling to a low whir.

Hiyori's mouth dropped open. "That's... a lightsaber, isn't it? A real one?"

"It's technically a beam katana. This is my first time using it, so... let's hope for the best!" Rei was smiling cheerfully, unlike anyone else. The katana she carried glowed a light blue. She spun it around a few times, watching the patterns the beam made in the air as it moved. Yutaka flinched.

"Shouldn't you be careful with that?" Minami said. "You said you've never used it before. I don't even know where you'd get something like that..."

"You're right about that. You'd never believe how I managed to come across this... And I'm not allowed to say. But anyway! Let's get going, shall we?"

* * *

At long last, Dante had found a balcony from which he could see what the hell had just happened.

First Vergil and that other guy, the bald one in the suit, had unsealed the Temen-ni-gru after it had been sealed for two thousand years, setting a portal into Hell wide open for all sorts of nasty things to come out. It had been one crazy party ever since that.

But then, it had suddenly moved. The entire tower, suddenly transported to burst out of the ground somewhere else. The force of the whole thing moving had knocked Dante to the ground, unable to stand until it came to a stop and just barely able to dodge all of the debris from the old crumbling stonework. This place was most likely held up by magic alone.

At that point, he had been able to register that something had changed. Everything looked like a drawing, for one thing - had they gone into some weird alternate realm? Maybe that Jester guy had set it up. It seemed like his style. That bastard.

Now that Dante could look out over the balcony, he could see they were in a whole different city than before. What was left of all the signs and billboards that he could read revealed it must be somewhere in Japan. Strange - he'd never been able to read Japanese before. Why could he do it now?

At first he could barely walk, it was too hard to judge distance and he was tripping over his long red coat that had never given him a problem with mobility before. This new dimension or whatever it was really sucked. He was going to find that Jester and beat the shit out of him.

And then Vergil. This was all his fault. Dante's own brother.

Some more of the demons were approaching, he blasted them with his twin handguns without a second thought. At least he was adjusting. But there was no way he was going to put up with all this weird stuff any longer. The sooner it was all over, the better.

* * *

"Um... Konata..." Kagami tried to catch her breath. "You need to slow down. We've been running for so long... Where'd they go?"

They looked around for Miyuki and Tsukasa. They had most likely been absorbed by the crowd. Konata saw them first. "Over there!"

"How did you..." Kagami still couldn't see where they were. Were they one of those spots in the mass of people trying to escape?

"You'd be surprised how easy it is to find the three of you in a crowd," Konata said with a grin. Kagami was starting to accept that she was back from the dead... somehow... but there was something weird about her, almost creepy. But what other option did they have than to accept her help? At least it had been working out so far.

"Konata-san, there you are!" Miyuki said with relief. "I'm terribly sorry, it's so hard to work our way through..."

They tried to form a tighter group as they worked their way down. The tower still loomed over them. It seemed inescapable.

"You know, it's not going to stop until somebody takes care of the source..." Konata muttered. "I really hope they have someone get on that - " She was interrupted by a crash from somewhere behind.

Kagami really didn't want to look back, but couldn't help herself. She soon regretted it. Now there was some huge thing, it looked like a whale, but somehow flying... It was circling the tower. Even from miles away it looked huge. And its mouth... That was the worst part, just rows of teeth, and big enough to swallow buildings.

"Konata... What the hell is going on here?"

"I told you. It's the legions of Hell. I remember that one, actually. That thing's called Leviathan." Konata was staring straight up at it. Was she... used to this kind of thing? Maybe it happened all the time, wherever she had gone after she...

"JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? YOU WITH THAT UGLY MUG! YOU THINK YOU'RE TOUGH, PICKING ON ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T FIGHT BACK? YOU MAKE ME SICK!" The voice boomed out of the sky, drowning out most other sounds.

"Huh? What's that...?" Tsukasa didn't want to look up at that Leviathan, or whatever it was, but now...

"No way... A giant robot?" Kagami said. "But those don't really -" She couldn't even finish the sentence, the huge red mecha somehow pulled out giant drills from absolutely nowhere and flew up towards the creature. Blood was spraying out of it everywhere. So gross, but... that was a good thing, wasn't it? If it could kill that monster...

"Relax, guys. That's just Kamina," Konata said. "Heh. Didn't expect to see anyone I knew here... He's an old friend of mine, I trust him. He'll take care of it. Now we really need to keep moving."

"A friend of yours? Konata, you aren't making any sense!"

"I don't have time right now. Real sorry about that."

A few more of the smaller demons stood in the way, but were dispatched quickly with shotgun blasts. Konata stopped to reload, pulling some shells out of the pocket of her coat. She loaded the weapon with speed that suggested a routine, like she had done this hundreds of times before.

Now, the flaming sword made sense for a ghost, or guardian spirit, or... Whatever it was that Konata was now. But a shotgun? It didn't seem to fit the image. Kagami wasn't complaining as long as it helped them. It would have been so much better just to know what all of this meant... Konata was too occupied with defending them. She wasn't explaining any of this. If it could, in fact, be explained.

* * *

Around the base of the tower, the road, which would have been the only open space in this packed city, was choked with wrecked cars, broken asphalt, and various rubble from the buildings that had been unfortunate enough to be in the way. Any people who had survived had cleared out of this area with all possible speed.

Joshua didn't always care for these futuristic cities. Begnion had been about as huge and populous as he could stand. Even the responsibility of being a prince of a barren desert nation had been unappealing to him. This world was apparently where Konata came from, though, and... maybe that was why she had been so eager to leave. He could understand that. Too bad she wouldn't be allowed to help out on this assignment.

Even so, he thought he might come to this world for something different than the usual. This tower was the center of all the chaos, if he got in there and somehow got all the way to the top, maybe this would all be over. The demons had so far been exceedingly simple to beat.

"Ah. I see I'm not alone."

Joshua turned to see who had spoken. A pale man, tall, in a red trenchcoat and hat.

"You're with Eclipse, I take it. The name's Joshua. And you are?"

"Alucard." The stranger smiled, showing pointed teeth. Weird.

"Nice to meet you, then. Shall we enter?"

"Such a beautiful day..." Alucard seemed to be referring to those dark red clouds that had gathered in the sky and expanded to cover the entire country, it seemed. Here at the center it was darker than night. "It'll be a shame to see it go. But we have a job to do here, correct?"

Joshua shuddered a bit. This guy was creepy. But even so, the help would be appreciated. "Yeah... I guess so. Let's get this over with, then."

* * *

Konata, now familiar with the sound of demons appearing behind them, was almost getting bored of dealing with them. Turning around, she swung out her arm in front of her, and about twelve demons were engulfed in a wave of flame breaking out over them.

"Hm... My magic seems to be getting better. I've never done that before," she said.

"Magic...? Kona-chan... What happened to you?" Tsukasa asked. They'd all been wondering that. Not only had she died and come back to life, now she was using magic and fighting demons. It didn't make any sense.

"I'm really not supposed to say anything... I'm not even supposed to be here." Konata almost stopped with that, but it wouldn't be fair to them. They were her friends, they had a right to know. And what else could she lose at this point? "I've been travelling to other universes. That's where all of this comes from. The devils, the giant robots. Everything."

"I've heard that theory before..." Miyuki said. "The multiverse. You say it's... actually possible to travel between them?"

"Yeah. I mean, where else did you think I'd shown up from?" Seeing that Kagami was about to respond, Konata quickly cut her off and added, "You didn't have to answer that, actually. It was a rhetorical question..."

"But we're going to be out of this soon, right? I can't go on much farther..." Tsukasa's voice trailed off.

"I think so - " Konata stopped as she looked where they were heading.

This was the place from her dream. Yes, it was that street with all the cherry trees... They were somewhere in the middle of being vibrantly pink and being burnt and destroyed. It was empty, no students here this time. And neither was that dark figure...

It was all a very hazy and unreal feeling.

"Huh? There's nobody here... But..." Kagami looked around the entire area. Nobody else was around, anywhere. The crowd of people seemed to have vanished. "Where did everyone go?"

Konata couldn't figure that out either. She wanted to say something, but she could only stare ahead. She still heard the sounds of continued destruction behind them, but it seemed like it was growing more distant even as they remained in the same place, as if it was all dozens of miles away. And, although all was still now, ahead of them the path was still destroyed. How far had all the damage spread? And... What was going to happen now? To the city, and to everyone who lived here?

She had managed to save her friends' lives. While she had been escaping, the city she had lived in all her life had been torn apart beyond recognition. It would be years before it was all back to normal, if it ever was.

And even so, she was now stuck here. She couldn't go back to school at Gekkokan, she couldn't work for Eclipse at all... And she still had so many plans! Those were all thrown out now, weren't they? She still wanted to keep doing this, but she had thrown it away...

What did she really want now, anyway?

The dark man was here now, standing there in his old jacket and worn-down boots, watching her. Grinning. _Doesn't anyone else see him?_ Konata wondered. _He's right there..._

"Konata?" She thought it was Kagami's voice, she couldn't tell...

"Are you alright?" Miyuki.

Konata tried to respond, tell them she was alright, they'd keep on going. The words wouldn't come out. She was losing her balance. The dark man watched her fall. She blacked out before she hit the ground, but right as everything was fading out, she heard -

_Do you reject this vision of reality?_


	21. To The Hilt

The first thing Konata was aware of was an intense pain in her skull, like someone trying to force a corkscrew into her forehead. It hurt. She couldn't remember what had happened or where she was. Her scattered mind could only remember something random, from a very long time ago, about Kuroi complaining about having a hangover at the beginning of the week. Maybe this is what it felt like. She was lying facedown on the pavement, which was most of what she could tell about her situation. Konata made a small noise of pain, tried to move her arm or leg. Those still worked. Good. It was so quiet. Then, a voice.

"Kona-chan?" She recognized it. Tsukasa.

That was right, she had gone home. It was coming back to her now. And, not long after that, everything had been destroyed. The last thing she remembered, she was with her friends, not too far from their old school, when suddenly it had all become too overwhelming. Maybe the realization of what was going on, the graveness of it. She had felt so drained, and she lost even the strength to stand up. It wasn't normal for her to do something like that. And even now, coming back into consciousness, she still felt so tired...

Hands came down on her back, shaking her violently. Her head rocked from side to side. It didn't do much for the headache. She tried to open her eyes, and she saw some blurry shapes slowly come into focus. The purple blob closest to her turned out to be Tsukasa. She was the one trying to wake her up. And more details were coming in now. It was dark, they were all alone on a brick sidewalk with the bluish glow of an overhead streetlight a few feet away. It seemed too bright, it was painful to look directly at it. They were in a city park, maybe. Not one she recognized.

"Kona-chan... It is you, right?" Tsukasa was examining her.

"I... 'mokay..." Konata slurred. What had happened?

"Konata-san, you're awake..." Miyuki was somewhere behind her. Konata picked herself up off the ground, taking a great effort to do so. She stumbled once, and didn't try to stand up, instead just kneeling.

"I... Did I pass out...? How long was I - " She rubbed her forehead.

"Only a few minutes," Miyuki said. "And, um... About the way we look now..."

"I'm not sure why it all looks like this, but... I think we're still alright..." Tsukasa said. Her eyes were wide with concern. "It just all changed... You fell down just a few seconds before it happened..."

"Tsukasa, what are you talking about? You still..." She stopped. Yes, Tsukasa still looked the same, but... It had taken Konata a minute to work out what they were talking about. Why things would seem different to them. How she could have been unconscious for only a few minutes, but wake up in some unfamiliar place at night. "How did we... get here, exactly?"

"Really? Even you don't know? I was hoping that at least you would understand any of this..." Kagami was sitting alone on a bench a couple meters away, her face in her hands, not looking at anyone or anything. Her voice was bitter.

"Kagami-san, this couldn't be her fault, she was trying to help us," Miyuki said. Then she turned to Konata, who was still seated on the ground, and added, "I think those things are gone now... The ones that were attacking us."

Crickets were chirping, and somewhere in the distance they heard the sound of a car driving past. They were safe in this world, at the very least. But what was it like back home? They had to get back right away.

Konata pulled herself shakily to her feet, and realized she was still wearing the black coat and the weapons crossed on her back. She removed them, storing them away in the usual method. Once the gun and sword were gone, she decided to remove the coat as well. Tsukasa and Miyuki watched as they vanished into the air, while Kagami continued trying to ignore reality. Konata thought maybe her headache was starting to - she flinched at another dull throb of pain, and realized it wasn't quite gone yet.

"I'm not exactly sure where we are, but it must be some other universe... You really don't know how we got here?" Konata said, looking at her friends' blank expressions. Now that she was adjusting, she could tell that it was different here than back in Lucky Star. The body proportions were more realistic, the colors more subdued. She searched her pockets, found her Talisman, and opened it. "This is really weird, it doesn't usually happen like this, but I might be able to get us out..."

The notice of "1 unread message" on the screen confirmed her fears that maybe she could not, in fact, get them out.

"What do you mean by 'another universe'?" Tsukasa asked quietly, watching her face.

Konata said nothing for a moment, reading the message.

_This message is to inform IZUMI KONATA that he/she has committed the following class I offenses against the Eclipse Organization:_  
_-Entrance into a restricted zone (x2)_  
_-Desertion of an assigned mission_  
_-Ignorance of direct orders_  
_-Public disclosure of classified information_  
_These offenses have been labelled as treason, and membership to the Eclipse Organization and access to all servers have been permanently withdrawn._

She tried, in mad desperation, to get into the main travel function. She was presented with a blank screen and an error message. That couldn't just be it... They'd just leave her here? Not to mention everyone else...

"Um... About what I said, about getting us out... Looks like that's not going to happen."

* * *

Chapter 21

Burn the Bridges

* * *

For the first time since they had arrived here, Kagami opened her eyes and lifted her head. "What do you mean? You're saying that... We're not going to get back home?"

"Not for a while, at least," Konata said. "To tell the truth, I was even planning on staying back in our own universe. I figured they'd cut me off while I was still back there, and I'd just be fine living there. I even stopped by my old house to talk to - " She stopped. She hadn't even thought of that. Now the details of that regrettably brief conversation were coming back. "I told Dad I'd be coming back once it was all over... He was counting on me..."

Had she really wanted to go back home? She remembered that she had almost felt sorry after leaving him there like that - not so much because she had abandoned everyone, but because deep down she still wanted to be out there exploring and defending new worlds. No... She had made the right choice when she returned. She might be confirmed as dead, but they couldn't deny that she had come back, could they? They'd have to accept her again, they simply had to.

Konata raised a hand to her temple, feeling the headache getting worse. She took a seat on the bench and let out a sigh.

"This really wasn't in my plans, you know," Kagami said. "I can't even believe you're somehow still alive... What happened to you? You're not even acting like yourself. How you used to, I mean."

"Umm, Kona-chan, you... are still alive, though, right?" Tsukasa asked.

"Yeah, of course. I thought we had established that." Konata stared up at her.

"I was just making sure..." Tsukasa said. Even though she had been trying to stay close to Konata through all of the chaos back home, there had still been a hint of fear and doubt in her behavior. So much for a warm reception.

"But how? I thought the news report said they found you... as in they found a dead body. Now what's all this about alternate universes?" Kagami made a movement like she was going to turn to look at them, but then decided against it.

Konata was trying to think of what to say, but it was all so awkward. She had never expected to be in this position. They'd always seemed so far removed from Eclipse, like nothing like this would or could ever happen. "Eh..." She winced as another stab of pain shot through her brain. "I'll just start at the beginning, I guess..."

She paused for a moment, wondering how much she should tell them. Maybe it didn't make much of a difference anymore, what else could Eclipse do to her? A gust of wind blew through the trees, sending a few orange leaves to the brick sidewalk. Wherever they were, it definitely wasn't spring. Still, the weather was comfortably warm, even at night, and the air had a crisp quality. And, other than the unexpected appearance of four teenage girls from another universe, everything here was pretty normal. Not unlike what Lucky Star used to be. How it was supposed to be.

"I've been working for an organization called Eclipse. They handle all sorts of conflicts in different universes, things like that. I started out about two years ago. It wasn't long after we started our junior year," Konata said. "I was headed home in the evening - actually, I think it was from your house, Kagami - and they sent someone to pick me up."

Still not understanding exactly how Eclipse's rules worked, she didn't want to use Jason's name. He was probably their most likely chance of getting rescued. She wasn't about to do anything to jeopardize him.

"Two years ago...?" Tsukasa said. "Kona-chan, you never told us anything... I never would have guessed..."

"And now that you all know about it, I've been fired. They really don't like having their secrets revealed. To anyone," Konata replied grimly. "But anyway... They took me out to practice combat, to start with. It wasn't for very long, that first time."

"So _they_ chose _you?_" Kagami cut in. "Out of all the people... Why?"

"I don't really know... I think they had been watching me before I joined. And even on that first training session, I was pretty good at fighting. Once I came back, though, everything looked kind of..." She looked over at Kagami's purple hair, then at Miyuki's huge eyes, which she thought at one time might have been brown or hazel, she couldn't remember which. "Well, it all kind of looked the way it does now."

"If it wasn't happening right now, I'd say you were crazy." Kagami paused a moment, then added, "Maybe we all are."

Miyuki looked thoughtful, putting a hand to her chin. "But why would that happen? There doesn't seem to be any explanation for it..."

"Actually... There's a really popular manga out there - not in our world, in other ones - and it's all about us. It's called Lucky Star. They made an anime of it, too. Once you've gone back and forth through different worlds, the place we live looks the same as it does in that."

"Then that means... Oh God." Kagami seemed to be breaking down again. She wasn't handling this too well. "When we get back home... It's still going to be like this? I hardly even _recognize_ you guys anymore. And what about everyone else?"

"You get used to it."

"You seriously don't find _anything_ wrong with this? It's like nothing's even real anymore!"

Konata used to wonder what her friends would think if they knew about the nature of their universe, and the existence of Lucky Star, not to mention the legions of fanboys that came with it... She especially liked that part. She never thought Kagami would take the news so well, though. Too bad she hadn't been awake to see the initial shock of arriving here.

"Of course it's all still real, it's just... I don't really know how to explain it. It's not easy at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Just give it a few days."

Kagami sighed and leaned her head over the back of the bench, staring up at the sky. "I can't believe this... It's definitely _your_ style, though."

"But, if you were in this... organization thing... how were you still coming to school every day?" Tsukasa asked, attempting to get back on subject.

"I only took missions at night. They'd usually take about three or four hours, sometimes longer." Konata remembered those days, back in a simpler time. Back then, she had always wanted to go on some sort of a quest that would take weeks or even months. Something that she could really lose herself in, putting everything she had towards a single goal. Remembering the homesickness she had felt during the war, and even during her time at Gekkokan to a certain degree, it hadn't been as much fun as she had hoped.

"And you would take these missions almost every night... So that's why you were always so tired during class..." Miyuki said.

Konata almost could have laughed. As smart as she was, there were just some things Miyuki didn't get. "Uh, yeah. More or less." The pain in her head was beginning to fade. "I went to a lot of anime worlds, since those were the ones I recognized, but as for where we are right now... I don't know. It might even be one that I haven't heard of, something that's only published in another universe or something."

If only there was some clue, some person or event that she recognized and could use to figure out where they were... Even if it didn't get them out of here, it would at least be a relief to know what this world was. She pulled out her phone, checking to see if the date and time had changed. Usually it would do that automatically, but it still read 16:19 on March 30, 2007, apparently the current time back home. There wasn't even a signal. She sighed and snapped it closed.

Miyuki was inspecting it closely, now that she knew what it was. "So that's what allowed you to travel between universes? How strange... It must be very advanced technology."

"I don't really know how it works, I'm guessing it's partly by magic." Konata was turning it over in her hand. She stared at the emblem printed on the front, the logo for the group that had abandoned her. "Funny story, actually... You've all called me at least once while I was out working. It still receives calls if you're in separate worlds. Used to, anyway."

"I did, too?" Tsukasa said. "I don't think I remember..."

"You were the first call I ever got like that. I don't know if you remember, it was around Golden Week, I was home sick the day after." She still remembered how difficult that day had been. Maybe they really hadn't noticed anything about her condition when that had happened.

"You got some sort of weird illness while you were on a mission?" Kagami guessed. "And they just let you risk bringing it back home. Incredible."

"Kind of like that. Come to think of it... That was the one time I really _did_ get killed."

Tsukasa was taken aback. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah... I got hit by some stray gunfire while I was out hunting a vampire."

"Vampires exist...?" Miyuki said. "I thought they were just stories..."

"Nothing's just a story, Miyuki. I learned that soon enough. But anyway... This particular universe, there were some vampires who were on the humans' side. And, well... they're the reason I was okay. They turned me into one of them."

"So you're..." Tsukasa's eyes widened.

"No, not anymore," Konata assured them. "For the one day afterwards, I was a vampire. It really wasn't very much fun. I couldn't go outside, I couldn't eat regular food... Not to mention how awkward you guys made it when you came by for a visit. But by the next night another one of the Organization members brought a cure, so I'm still human now." She smiled. "That's just one of the crazy adventures I've been on."

"Alright, so what happened the... second time you died, I guess?" Kagami said. And wasn't that what they all really wanted to know?

"That..." The grin vanished from Konata's face. "I truly am sorry that ever happened. I thought I had planned it out enough..."

"You planned your own death?" Kagami said in disbelief. "How could you even _do_ something like that? It's just insane!"

"Up until that point, I'd only been able to take smaller missions, nothing too involving. But if I had more time to put into it, I'd be allowed to go on longer, more important assignments," Konata continued. "And the only way to do that was if I left home and never came back."

"So, um..." Miyuki was at a loss. Finally she said, "How long were you planning on that?"

"I probably started considering it back in... I don't know, February or something." Yes, it had been some time after meeting Rei, which had been at the festival in January, and all of the missions she had been taking around that time - she specifically remembered Valentine's Day, all the candy exchanges had been going on then - had just been relatively boring. She hadn't been in the greatest of moods, though.

"Gosh... And you never said anything." Tsukasa stared at the ground.

"The plans weren't finalized until the start of our senior year, and then they still had to arrange a date and get everything ready. They made... it was kind of like a clone of me, but it wasn't really alive. And I brought that out once I was sure nobody was looking, and... shot it in the head." This was something Konata never liked to think about, but ever since then, rainy evenings had always made short flashes of that night come back to her. "That's what the police found."

"You really made us think someone had murdered you, though... Once I heard about it, I was just so scared..." Tsukasa winced at the memory. "And all that time you knew you were going to do that?"

"I never said it was easy... I just thought..." What had she thought, exactly? Now that she was looking back on her decision, with her friends so aghast at what she had done... Konata realized what a bad idea it was. "I guess I thought this was the best thing I could do with my life. I was finally good at something. They wanted me."

"If that's what you want, it's just fine with me," Kagami said. "But we were supposed to go to college. Lead normal lives. I just want to get home and be done with this. Konata, you can do whatever you want."

"We... really should get home, shouldn't we? I mean, Mom and Dad will think..." Tsukasa's voice trailed off. "They're going to think we're dead! All of those things come into the city, and we just disappear like that!" Tears were filling her eyes.

"It's, uh... It's really no problem, I'll figure out how to get us back home... And I was serious about going back with you. I really was." Konata stood up and looked down the path, then turned around to survey the other direction. "Let's get moving. And act natural. Get rid of that deer-in-headlights expression."

"What do you suggest we do?" Miyuki inquired.

Konata wasn't sure of what to say, but moving had just seemed like a good idea. She'd never been stranded in an unknown world like this before. "Well... Maybe we'll find another Organization member. I have friends that might be looking for me, actually. But I'd really like to figure out at least where we are."

That sounded reasonable enough. Now, right or left... She chose to start heading to the right. Either direction would have to lead out of this park. Now that she was paying closer attention to everything, was something familiar about this? For a moment, something seemed to resonate, but she couldn't properly identify it. Better to just get moving.

* * *

"Kouyou Park Station..." Miyuki read the name of the train station aloud. It didn't seem familiar to any of them.

It hadn't taken that long to find their way out of the park. Eventually the lights of a few store signs had led them to the rest of the city. None of them were open. On one occasion a car drove past, the high beams nearly blinding them. Other than that, it was deserted. The station was across the street from the park entrance.

"People... live here, don't they?" Tsukasa said.

"You're not used to being out in the middle of the night... It usually gets empty like this. Which makes it convenient when you don't want to be seen," Konata replied. "If we wait until morning, I'm sure the sidewalks will fill up. Maybe I'll see someone I know..."

"And until then?" Kagami said. "We don't even have any clue what time it is."

"We could still look around some," Konata said. The thought was already starting to occur to her that they might need to find a place to stay. It could be days before they came across a means of escape. Or longer.

Leading them into what seemed to be the main commercial district, it didn't appear that any stores were open at this hour. A row of pay phones was outside a convenience store, and for the first time they could see another person out walking, a tall figure in a long coat. He walked over to deposit some change into the slot, taking the phone at the left end of the row. At this distance, and with the lack of light, it was difficult to make out any features. He stood there, slouching impatiently after punching in some numbers and depositing even more coins after listening to the receiver for a brief moment.

"Enzo, you'd better be watching the shop for me..." He was muttering to himself in English.

"Huh? No way, I think that's..." Konata started to head towards him.

"Pick up the goddamn _phone_... Finally! Enzo, I need your help. I'm stuck somewhere in..." The man glanced around. As Konata approached, she recognized him, his white hair and red coat. Dante, from Devil May Cry. "Japan, looks like." Dante's face twisted as he listened to the response. "Wait a sec. Who the hell _are_ you? What are you doing at my shop? Goddamnit, I paid long distance for this, don't screw with me!"

After listening for a few more seconds, growing more impatient, he simply dropped the phone and let it dangle from the cord. He turned around, ran some fingers through his hair. Then he quickly spun back around, landing a forceful kick directly on the phone. Change clinked inside it and the inner workings cracked in half. Tsukasa recoiled from the outburst of violence, despite still being far away. Dante groaned. "Can anyone tell me what the _hell_ is going on here?"

"Dante?" As Konata spoke, he seemed to notice her for the first time.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" He looked over the four of them, frowning.

"You wouldn't happen to be in Eclipse, would you...?" If Dante was here, from the same game that the demons had come from, what did that mean?

"In _what?_ I don't have time for this." He turned as if to walk away.

"I'm just saying, we're working on finding a way out of this universe... How'd you get here, anyway?"

He stopped, but didn't turn around. "'Out of this universe'? So that's what I'm stuck in... Glad to have you working on the case, you all seem _so_ capable. I'm just _certain_ you'll be a big help."

Miyuki spoke hesitantly. "Actually, Konata-san is the one who understands this... We're just as confused as you are."

"All I know is that I'm in that godforsaken tower, when all of a sudden shit starts going crazy, and somehow I eventually end up here. And now I try to call my shop and some lady I don't even know claims it's a wrong number? You say you really know what's going on?" Dante seemed to be examining Konata, still not convinced. "What's with the weird hair, anyway?"

Ignoring that, Konata said, "So you just suddenly appeared here... And you were in the tower, which was in our universe..." She didn't seem to be talking to him, it was more like she was saying it out loud to herself. "Nobody was around when that happened?"

"What does it matter?" Dante sighed impatiently, and turned to leave again. "If you girls do find out anything, just look for me. I don't think I'll be going anywhere far."

"Wait!" Konata called after him, but he just raised a hand in a lazy waving motion and continued walking away.

"He wasn't in that thing you were a part of...?" Tsukasa said, her ability to speak returning. "How did you know him, Kona-chan?"

"He's from a video game I played once."

"You're not serious," Kagami said, even as she realized that Konata probably _was_ serious, about this as well as everything else from the past few hours.

"But the important thing is, the same thing happened to him. I just don't get it... And he even ended up in the same place. Weird." Konata looked for him, but now he was out of sight. "I wonder if anyone else is here... But we should remember to get him back to where he's supposed to be, too."

* * *

The darkness of night had left and was replaced by a chilly gray atmosphere as morning set in. As they walked along the sidewalk, a few cars passed by. The traffic was picking up as the day began, although not many people were out walking around yet.

"Wait... Over there!" Konata suddenly spoke up. She pointed ahead towards a building.

Tsukasa looked ahead, squinting. "What...? Oh, that's a bookstore, isn't it?"

"Don't tell me you're going to go shopping, of all things," Kagami said.

"No, this is important. Let's go in as soon as it opens. I need to see if they have Lucky Star there." She started heading across the street to look at the times posted. The rest of them followed, unsure of what else to do.

Kagami quickened her pace to catch up with her. "Forget it. I'll just take your word that it exists. I really don't need to see that we're just characters in some manga."

"That's not it. If Lucky Star exists here, then we shouldn't use our real names. People might recognize them," Konata said, still looking ahead. "I had to do that on the last mission I took." Reaching the store, a sign in the window informed them that it would be closed until 9:00. If only they knew what time it was now.

Tsukasa stepped forward, gazing into the darkened windows. There was nobody inside, but that wasn't what interested her. It was her reflection. She didn't recognize herself.

Konata noticed her. "Yeah... You should probably get used to it. That's just how you're going to see yourself from now on."

Kagami and Miyuki also stopped to examine themselves. Miyuki's hand went up to her cheek, tracing the rims of her glasses, watching the pink-haired figure in the window copy her movements.

Konata was only focused on what she could see of the manga selection, her hands cupped around her eyes to get a better view. The titles that were visible were all fairly outdated, and anything related to Lucky Star was nowhere in sight. She backed away, and watched them. "If it makes you feel any better, I've always thought everyone looks a lot cuter this way." Konata personally thought of the blue hair as a Super Saiyan-like transformation.

"That's _me?_" Kagami said, as if she still couldn't accept it.

Miyuki turned around, her hand on her chin in thought. She noticed a newspaper vendor a few meters away, and an idea formed. "Oh... If anyone has a few yen, we could probably find out where we are from that."

"Good idea, Miyuki-san. Uh..." Konata checked her pockets, reaching deep down but finding nothing, then remembered she had left her wallet back in her dorm room. It seemed like it had been ages ago. She smiled nervously. "I'm kinda broke right now, so..."

Kagami sighed. "How much is it?" She pulled out a few coins, counted them, and deposited them in the slot, then removed the paper.

According to the paper, they were in Nishinomiya (in the Hyogo prefecture, Miyuki informed them.) Scanning over the headlines, there was something about the American president meeting with the Prime Minister during a tour of Asia, and a local column about the upcoming culture fest at the local high school.

Konata pointed out the date. "So it's October 19, 2003... a little different than I expected, but still pretty close."

"2003?" Tsukasa said. "You mean... But it's 2007, it must be an old paper or something..." She turned to Konata for confirmation.

"We just bought it now. I'm not sure when they change these machines, so it might be the 20th." Konata shrugged. "And at least in most universes, Lucky Star wouldn't be released until 2004. That's a relief. Maybe we should still check just to make sure, though."

Everyone was silent for a moment, just staring at her.

"So, not only are we characters from a manga, we're from one that hasn't even been published yet... Seeing as we're somehow four years in the past now. And in some different anime." Kagami shook her head. "Don't even bother trying to make sense of this, I've had enough."

* * *

It was an hour or so later that the town really seemed to wake up. The sun was shining, and the morning chill had left. They were headed towards a part of the town they hadn't explored yet, taking a sidewalk that led up a steep hill.

"So what exactly do we do now?" Kagami asked. They had been wandering aimlessly ever since visiting the book store and confirming that they were unknown to the people of this world.

"I dunno..." Konata said. "Maybe if Dante's here, then someone else from the Organization got dropped in too... And they might have a working Talisman. I mean the cell phone thing," she added, noticing they weren't familiar with the name of the device.

"And you're sure that's the only way to get back?" Miyuki said.

"There's also however we got dropped in here, which I still can't figure out," Konata said. "Sometimes something just shows up in another universe that it's not supposed to be in... It's rare, but that's like what happened to the demons when they showed up. I don't know how it works."

They were passed by some girls in sailor uniforms. White and blue, the design somehow seeming familiar. It figured, if it was October then of course there would be students on their way to school in the morning. As the students passed, they turned to glance at the four of them.

"Huh? They're... staring at us..." Tsukasa said. She nervously fingered her hair.

"Don't worry, it's not that. We're just not wearing uniforms. And I think college students usually wouldn't be hanging around here at this time of day," Konata reassured her. "I remember how it felt. Nobody can tell you look any different, though."

"How interesting... This really does seem to be a regular town," Miyuki said. "It's hard to imagine they don't notice anything that we do."

"Well, it's not like you ever - " Konata stopped mid-sentence. She was watching someone across the street, starting to gape.

"Huh? Is that someone you know?" Kagami said, trying to follow her gaze. Once she saw him, she stopped as well. "Wait... That's not... No, it's crazy."

"Who is it?" Tsukasa didn't recognize any faces in the crowd.

"I think we've just figured out what universe we're in..." Konata said, a grin spreading across her face. "Let's introduce ourselves."

"What? You're just going to - " Before Kagami could protest, Konata was already in the middle of the street. She called out his name.


	22. Enjoy the Silence

"Kyon!"

Upon hearing the voice, Kyon stopped in his tracks. _So there she is,_ he thought. _She didn't go missing at all. Haruhi must have been sick or something, that's why she wasn't at school. Even she can have something normal like that happen to her. Crisis averted._

She had called a meeting the day before - eliminating any plans Kyon had for a duty-free, relaxing Sunday off. As usual, he hadn't been in any hurry to take part in whatever Haruhi had planned, so he had been surprised when she wasn't even at the meeting spot to reprimand him. In fact, Koizumi, Nagato, and Asahina-san had been waiting alone.

They had stayed together for about a half hour, but she hadn't shown up. Koizumi had started to feel uneasy, convinced that Haruhi had just unknowingly caused something crazy to happen, so he had called her house. Talking to her parents had revealed that nobody had seen Haruhi since the Saturday before, when she had been at school. She hadn't returned home that night. They had feared the worst, Kyon included, but... now she was here.

She had probably just been out there trying in vain to signal another UFO. Nothing dangerous. At least if she was back, that would answer a few questions. It was somewhat of a relief - if Haruhi wasn't ordering the Brigade around, who knows what she might have gotten into? After filming that movie, Kyon himself now grudgingly accepted that there truly was more to Haruhi than met the eye.

But as he turned to face her, Haruhi wasn't there at all. Instead, he saw a group of girls, not wearing the school uniforms but probably around his own age. The one with the long dark hair was trying to flag him down, she had probably been the one who had called his name. One of her friends, a bit taller with brown hair tied in twin tails, quickly grabbed her arm and tried to restrain her.

"Konata, you can't be serious! That couldn't be... He doesn't exist!"

"If you don't mind me asking, who exactly are you?" Kyon's eyes narrowed, inspecting them. What had that girl said about him not existing? He really hated it when people said things like that. More weirdness. It was regrettable that he was used to it.

"You realize he can hear us, right, Kagami?" The girl with the long hair - Konata, her name had been - turned back to face him. So it wasn't an exact match, but her voice sounded so much like Haruhi's that it was truly scary. And now he didn't like the way she was smiling at him. "You are him, though, aren't you? You've gotta be."

"Listen, is there something I can help you with? I'm supposed to be on my way to class right now - " He gestured up the hill towards North High.

"Would you mind getting the rest of the brigade together? We've got a bit of a problem, maybe you could help us with it," Konata said.

Kagami, the other girl, was staring at Konata in shock. "_That's_ your plan?"

"Sure, why not? Actually, it almost makes sense... Maybe Haruhi brought us here, or something..." Was Konata suggesting that she also knew about Haruhi's abilities? And she brought them here... from _where?_

"Haruhi's been missing since yesterday. I hate to ask, but do you know anything about that?" Kyon glanced around, watching the other students walking to school. He couldn't stay out here much longer or else he'd be late. And why was he getting himself tangled up in... whatever was going on now? "And how do you know who I am?"

She ignored the question. "Haruhi's... gone?" Konata seemed to be lost in thought. Planning something. Her friends were staring at her, perplexed, like they had no idea what was going on. She suddenly snapped back to life, grinning. "Then we'll help you figure out what happened!"

"No way, we don't have time for this, we need to be finding a way back home - " Kagami started to protest, but she was cut off.

"And don't you think the SOS Brigade would have the most information on how to do that? They deal with all sorts of weird stuff like this. Let's give it a shot," Konata said.

Great. The mention of "weird stuff like this" confirmed his worst fears. So what were these girls? Sliders? It was about time for Haruhi to make one of those show up, and the things they were saying seemed to confirm it. And it wasn't just one, but _four._

The street was almost entirely cleared of students now. Kyon nervously checked his watch. "Look, it was great meeting you and all. But I really need to get going now." He paused, and let out a sigh. "Whatever's going on... I suppose... Come by the club room after school. You seem to know everything else about us, so I'm sure you know where to find it."

That seemed to be a good enough plan - hand them off to the others. Nagato always gave explanations for whatever phenomena Haruhi apparently triggered. Long, complicated explanations, but Kyon was willing to accept that.

He turned and walked away without hesitation, desperately wishing, as he often did, that he simply could have a normal high school life. It wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

* * *

Chapter 22

Come Crashing In

* * *

"Wasn't that..." Tsukasa started.

"Don't tell me you didn't recognize him! You've read those books, haven't you?" Konata said. She seemed to be trembling with uncontrollable anticipation. "I can't believe we'd end up here, of all places... I've always wanted to come, but they never let me. It's a restricted area, with Haruhi's powers and everything... I can't wait to meet all of them!"

"I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with this... What exactly is going on?" Miyuki asked.

"You remember that Suzumiya Haruhi series that Konata was always so interested in..." Kagami said. "I read the light novels, those were pretty good, actually. But anyway, apparently we're somehow in that story now." She didn't quite share Konata's enthusiasm at the moment. Sure, they had been good stories. But real life wasn't supposed to be like that. It was all just fantasy. Pure entertainment, and never anything more.

"I can't help but wonder, why would Haruhi have disappeared? And right around the time we showed up, too..." Konata thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Let's come back here once the school day's over. Until then - "

"Emiri - I mean, um..." The response to the name was almost instinctive after hearing it for so long. Konata turned around and instantly recognized the navy blue baseball cap. Junpei ran up to them, slowing his pace as he got closer. "Konata... Holy _shit._" He said the name "Konata" awkwardly, unfamiliar with using it to address anyone real. His eyes darted over each of them, not believing what he saw.

"Junpei? What're you doing here...?" Konata asked.

"Oh, man... I can't believe this. You're all _real_ - I mean, Konata, I was friends with you for months, I never thought you were really - "

"Someone you know, Konata?" Kagami eyed him suspiciously.

"Yeah, he went to school with me. That was my last mission... But never mind that for now. Junpei, how did you get here?" If he had come here, he probably had joined the Organization, and of course he'd have a Talisman and a way out. She hoped.

But there was still the issue of Haruhi missing, and Konata realized she wasn't ready to let that slip past just now. If Kagami and the others really wanted to go home, then they - What was she thinking? Of course she had to go back with them, she couldn't back out now. She had made a promise.

"Well, uh... When nobody saw you this mor - I mean, yesterday morning, I think, before school... Jason told me all about the Organization, and he found out about that mission you went on - "

"You don't mean..." Kagami said, her eyes wide. "Jason Ellis?" She turned back to Konata slowly.

"Um, y-yeah. The same one..." Konata stammered. "We've kinda been... working together for a while."

Kagami was steaming. "Anything _else_ you'd like to share? I thought... he seemed so _normal,_ I actually thought he was a good influence on you!"

"You knew him, too... Kagami?" Junpei said the name hesitantly.

"Yeah - wait, how do you know - "

Konata interrupted. "Please tell me Jason can get us back home."

"Actually... I don't really understand what happened. We went to... your world, and we were looking for you, but then we somehow got stuck here." Junpei's eyes widened as he realized what she had meant in her request. "You're saying they kicked you out, too?"

"Huh? Why would Jason have..." She started to put the pieces together. He had come looking for her, decided to have Junpei help out since he was already supposed to be recruited, and at some point while looking for her had broken a rule somehow... Maybe he'd seen somebody from school who recognized him, and they'd learned the truth. "This is all my fault, isn't it?"

Junpei groaned. "Hey, don't expect me to know how this works. I'm totally new at this whole thing."

Tsukasa was about to add something when they heard another voice, one that Konata recognized from a few missions. "Konata-senpai!" Before Konata could even turn around to see her, Rei was casually leaning on her shoulder with one arm. "Hey, I don't suppose you still have the coordinates for my world, would you?"

"Rei? You're here too?"

"Yeah, I'm glad I found you! So come on. I need to get back home before school." That was when she noticed the four others who were standing there. "Huh? What are your friends doing here...? Wait, don't tell me you went back to your world to deal with those things..."

"Whoa. You're Ayanami Rei, aren't you?" Junpei said. "From Evangelion? But you seem... different."

"So I've been told," she said flatly.

It took Kagami a minute to remember where she knew this girl from, recalling that the last time she had seen Rei, her hair had been white instead of pale blue. "Oh my God... You're that girl I saw at the Comiket festival!"

"Long time no see," Rei said with a smile. "So how's your day been?" Kagami glared at her.

"So Rei, you mean you were back there helping against the demons, too? And let me guess, you're not sure how you ended up here and the Organization kicked you out." Konata had her arms crossed, and was looking downwards.

"Pretty much... But on the bright side, I was able to help Yutaka out! She'll be just fine." Rei gave a wide grin.

"You were with Yutaka?" Konata reacted in shock, but felt relieved. "What happened to her? She's alright, isn't she?" Konata couldn't have looked for Yutaka on her own, not when she had already been helping her other friends... She had desperately wanted someone to help her.

"I'm pretty sure." Rei began listing off the details. "She was with Minami and Hiyori. We had all gotten to Minami's house when all the crazy stuff started happening, and stuff started fixing itself - "

"What stuff?" Tsukasa asked.

"You... didn't see?" Rei said. "Like all the buildings just went back to normal, the tower vanished. Actually, from what I saw the tower was gone first, and it kind of spread out from there. All the damage just disappeared. Once it got to where I was, that was when I ended up in the middle of the street here. But I at least saw it get as far as Minami's house." Everyone was staring at her, so she added, "Nobody else saw it? Really?"

"Goodness..." Miyuki said.

"I - didn't notice anything before we got taken away," Junpei said.

"So Yutaka and the others didn't come with you. They're still back home," Kagami said. "So why were we lucky enough to get caught up in this?"

"Jason actually wanted me to try to find anyone who ended up here, so now that you guys are here..." Junpei was trying his best, but this situation was different from what he was used to with the SEES team. "You haven't seen anyone else around, have you?"

"As a matter of fact, we did see one person," Miyuki said. "You said his name was Dante, if I remember correctly." She looked over at Konata, who nodded in response.

"Dante isn't a member, though. What I mean is that he never was," Konata added. "But he was also in our universe. He was inside the tower, fighting the demons from there. He came with it."

"Whoa..." Rei said.

"So where is Jason? He's been in the Organization longer than any of us have, he should know what's going on," Konata said. Actually, since Junpei had technically never even started, Rei was the only other real member here. Konata had the most experience of this group. "Did he have any idea what this all means?"

"N-no, he... didn't know anything," Junpei said. "We were supposed to meet up in the center of town where the two of us started out. It's still going to be a while, but you guys want to head over there?"

* * *

Between the six of them, there was at least enough money to get some fast food. Whatever they got to eat didn't really matter. Tsukasa tried to think back to whatever she had eaten last. They had just arrived at that cafe before those things showed up, and they hadn't even eaten then... She had gotten up late as usual, and hadn't even had any breakfast, expecting to just have lunch an hour or so later.

The man working at the counter had given them a strange look - _probably just because we're not wearing uniforms, and we're out at this time of day, like Kona-chan said,_ Tsukasa reminded herself. Her purple hair was making her self-conscious. The six of them had taken a booth large enough to fit all of them comfortably - besides the four of them, Konata's friends - Rei and Junpei - had come too. Junpei had said this was where he and Jason were planning to meet. Jason was really a part of this, too?

Once they had sat down, Konata turned around and glanced behind them towards the entrance, scanning around for something. She turned back. "Listen, don't make a big deal about this or anything, but... Some guy in a yellow coat has been following us since this morning."

"What?" Tsukasa turned around, trying to see him. There he was, at a table far away, no food on the table in front of him. Konata put a hand on her shoulder and turned her back around.

"Don't stare at him. I'm not sure what he wants." Konata kept her voice low. "I don't think he wants us to see him."

Kagami was sitting across from them, Miyuki next to her, and Rei in the next seat over. "Dressed like that?" she said, eying the garish yellow coat. "Why do I find that hard to believe?"

"How long has he been following you?" Rei asked. She was keeping watch on him.

"About from the time we met up with Kyon. You don't recognize him, do you?"

Rei shook her head. "Never seen him before. Who do you think he is?"

"We can worry about that later, he hasn't tried anything yet..." Konata took a sip of her drink. "Junpei, you know about Haruhi, right? You have to. You can't exactly have seen Lucky Star and not know about her."

Tsukasa glanced over at him. He'd seen that show? That was the one they were in... She realized how strange it must be for him if he thought they weren't real people. Actually, she'd seen Kona-chan today, which had been really weird at first... And Kyon, too.

"So that's seriously where we are right now? In that universe, or whatever?" Junpei said. "How are we supposed to get back? You couldn't have just forgotten about the Shadows. Call me crazy, but I was under the impression I was just playing hooky for a day."

Actually, Konata realized, she _had_ forgotten all about school at Gekkokan, and fighting the Shadows. She didn't say anything about it.

"If you don't mind me asking..." Miyuki said, after a pause, "I don't know very much about what's going on here... I'd appreciate it if you could explain. Who is Haruhi? You mentioned her having... special powers?"

"Basically... Haruhi has the ability to change things just by wishing for it. She doesn't know anything about it, but I still think maybe she had something to do with bringing us here," Konata explained. "She's done all sorts of things in the anime and manga. I remember that she mentioned alternate universes every so often. I guess she wished for someone from a different world to show up here, so..."

"Really? That sounds incredible. Is something like that possible?"

"Don't forget, we're not in the real world anymore. I suppose it is," Kagami said.

"Just because it's not _your_ world doesn't mean it isn't real," Rei said.

"I'm not going to argue specifics." Kagami slowly took a bite of the sandwich she had been staring at for several minutes.

Rei turned back to Miyuki. "By the way, when we got to Minami's house, your mom was there, too. I think the demons knocked down your house, but your family was fine. And now so's your house, probably, like the rest of the city."

"Thank goodness..." Miyuki said. "Those... demons... they really got that far?"

"Even more than that. Those guys were fast." Rei reached over and stole some of Kagami's fries.

The front doors of the restaurant opened, and Jason cut across the maze of tables to join them. He noticed Konata and her friends immediately. "I see you all showed up here, then..." He paused. "At this point I'm sure you already know, but I'm not just an average exchange student." He pulled up an empty chair from one of the tables and sat at the end of their table.

Kagami stared at him, trying to recognize him as the same person she'd gone to school with for a year. "I can't believe you... This is all _your_ fault! I trusted you!"

"I take it you're not happy to see me..." He sighed.

"You really got fired, too, huh?" Konata said. "I thought for sure you'd be the one to get this all sorted out... I'm so sorry I caused all this." She turned to look across the table at Kagami. "It's really not his fault, Kagami, he gave me a choice from the very start... I just went along with it, that's all. I could have said no... I could have at least kept on living at home..."

"But, Jason-kun..." Tsukasa said. "I remember talking to you after Kona-chan... died... and you said you didn't know anything about it..."

"Eclipse policy. It killed me to do it, but I had to keep lying to you."

"You didn't go back to America, then?" Miyuki asked.

"Konata and I were working together that entire time... Most of the times when I got calls from all of you, she was right there with me," he said. "But right now, the only important thing is getting everyone home. Junpei, did you find anything out?"

Junpei looked up, caught off guard. "I found them, that's about it," he replied.

"Oh, and we're in Suzumiya Haruhi's universe. We met Kyon just before Junpei showed up," Konata added.

"We're - ? Of course..." Jason said. "In that case, it's even more urgent that we find a way out."

"But according to Kyon, Haruhi isn't even here. Nobody's seen her for almost two days. Come to think of it... Does anyone have the time? Maybe we should head over there soon." Noticing Jason's confusion, she explained. "Kyon told us to go to the club room once the school day ended. I thought it was a good place to start."

"I guess as long as Haruhi's not here, it's okay to go..." Jason said. "You remember that direct contact with her is against Organization rules. I realize that we don't always have to listen to them anymore, but this one is purely for safety. If Haruhi shows up, you need to avoid contact with her."

"What? Seriously?" Konata frowned.

"Trust me, Eclipse specially selects people to make contact with people like her, and even _then_ it's a huge risk. The potential for things that could happen..."

Konata sighed. "Fine, I get it."

"As long as you're doing that, I think I'll head out and look around some more," Rei said. "What are you guys going to do?" She looked at Junpei, then at Jason.

"I really think I should - No, nevermind. You'll do fine on your own, Konata... Just be careful," Jason said. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see who else we might find. I've already searched this part of the town, so let's try somewhere else."

After finishing their meals, they split into two groups and departed.

* * *

When Haruhi wasn't around, Kyon found he actually enjoyed the club room. On these all-too-rare occasions, everyone could just relax. Mikuru wasn't even in one of those degrading outfits which currently hung on the rack, with Haruhi not here to force her into it. She was allowed to wear her normal uniform. It was good to see her happy.

Still, there was the fact that even after arriving in class this morning, Haruhi was still absent. And that reminded him of this morning and how -

"What are you guys waiting for? It's just up ahead!" The voice was muffled and came from outside in the hall. Mikuru glanced up, suddenly afraid. _So you think it sounds like her too... _Kyon thought. _Guess it wasn't my imagination._

"Kona-chan... you're really sure we should go in?"

"Of course!" Now the handle turned, the door swung open, and Konata was surveying the room in front of her with an awestruck expression. Kyon had to wonder, what did she see in a dingy little place like this? What little Haruhi had done in the way of decorating was nothing to write home about. "I can't believe it... We're really here!"

Mikuru seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Huh? Oh, you're not... Who are you?" she said, realizing she had been mistaken.

"You must be the ones Kyon told us about," Koizumi said. "You're right on time. Nice to meet you all."

Konata stepped inside, pulling up a chair for herself at the table in the center. "So Haruhi's still not here? That's too bad... Any idea what happened to her?" Her eyes darted all over the room, a contented grin on her face, like this was the only place she wanted to be right now. What was so impressive about some random stuff thrown into an unused classroom?

"Kyon told you about that, I presume." Koizumi was across from where Konata had sat down, his arms crossed. "She stayed here late on Saturday. I'm not sure how long she was here after the rest left. And yesterday nobody saw her. She was absent today as well. But, first things first. Who are you?"

Starting with the visitors, introductions were exchanged both ways. Although Konata and Kagami at least seemed to already know everyone...

"Thank you for letting us come to you," Miyuki said. "Konata-san told us you might be able to help us."

"Oh, and we already know your secrets, being from the future or anything," Konata said. Mikuru reacted with shock to the statement. "So there's no need to keep anything hidden."

Kyon noticed something unusual. Nagato, who had been sitting and reading quietly like she did every day, had actually torn herself away from the book and hadn't taken her eyes off Konata since the door had opened. She often never made any indication of actively paying attention, despite the fact that she absorbed and remembered everything that was said and done here, but now something was different... She remained silent, but alert. The expression on her face didn't reveal her thoughts.

"So other than some kind of weird fascination with this little club, what brings you here?" Kyon said.

"I can't believe I'm really going to ask you this, but... All we really need to know is if you have any way to get us to an alternate universe." Kagami's voice dropped to a low murmur on the second part.

"Why do you need that?" Mikuru asked. "Is... Suzumiya-san in a different world? Um, I mean... I tried to return to the future, and ask about what happened, but it was classified..."

"We don't know where she is. I guess she _could_ be, but - I can explain this better, probably..." Konata said. "I used to be part of the Eclipse organization. We took out threats in all sorts of different universes."

Kyon had some flashes of memory, hearing about the Integrated Data Thought Entity, some classified group of time travelers from the future, and the Agency that Koizumi once mentioned... whatever that was.

Konata continued. "Our world was attacked by demons just yesterday, and I went back to help everyone... And somehow, we ended up here, and I don't understand how. Usually people don't fall into another world for no reason. Ever since then, I haven't been able to return home. Certain divisions of Eclipse monitor people like Haruhi, but if you're not part of that group then this world is restricted. So now I'm fired."

"And didn't you say that Haruhi might have something to do with us coming here?" Tsukasa asked.

"Yeah, that was our guess," Konata said. Turning to the others, she added, "But you said she was missing yesterday... And we arrived here last night."

"I'm sorry to say that I personally can't give you any help, but Suzumiya-san has expressed interest in alternate worlds before. It seems likely she could be involved," Koizumi said. "And you're already aware that she could have created alternate worlds just by wishing for them. You're aware of the fact that she has such a power. May I ask how you know that?"

"What? But... but our world always existed! Haruhi didn't make it!" Kagami cried, making eye contact with him, the first time Kyon had ever seen her do that with anyone. "I mean, you're the ones who are just characters in a book!"

"Huh?" Mikuru said. "A..."

"Usually we don't tell anyone about this, but... Yeah. Where we come from, this whole thing - Haruhi, the SOS Brigade, your entire world - is a light novel, which later became just about the greatest anime ever made," Konata said, still grinning. "I'm a pretty big fan of you guys, so I know just about everything."

_Now what kind of person would enjoy that?_ Kyon wondered. Anything that happened to him that was worth reading about was likely to be miserable for him. That isn't entertainment at all, it's just cruelty.

"That's how you know so much about us..." he said.

"There are people watching us right now?" Mikuru said. "They know all about us?"

"None of this ever happened in the anime," Konata said. "And our world's the same way, it's got its own anime series too. But without any kind of paranormal stuff going on."

'No paranormal stuff,' says the girl who just admitted to being a trans-dimensional warrior or whatever. An odd claim to make.

"I don't like where this is going. It's too awkward. You can't find a way for us to get back home? Then thanks for your time. We'll be going now." Kagami stood up to leave. Apparently she and the others had been dragged into this by Konata, and didn't understand this whole theory of alternate worlds and... anime. Kyon could sympathize with that. Wasn't he in the same position, more or less?

"I'm sorry that we weren't any help. I don't believe any of us have any experience with fully-developed alternate realities, unless...?" Koizumi looked at Nagato, who shook her head. "No luck. Well, if you come up with anything about Haruhi, you know where to find us. The longer she's missing, the more I feel like something might be developing..."

"Well, um... Thanks," Konata said.

"Hey, Kona-chan, do you think we should go find Jason and the others?" Tsukasa said.

"Others?" Kyon said. "You mean... there are more of you out there. In our world."

"Right now, I know of at least..." Konata counted for a moment. "Four others. There are probably more, we were all split up, so could you keep an eye out?"

_Didn't this just keep getting better? Here are your visitors from another dimension, Haruhi, so why aren't you here to greet them? _Kyon wondered.

The sun was setting now, the sky turning a bright orange and bathing the room in a dim glow. Konata stood up to leave - a little reluctantly, following the others - and said her farewells. As they were about to leave, Nagato stopped them.

"Here," she said, holding out a sizable stack of bills. It surprised everyone. Had she been walking around with that much, or had she just... generated it, somehow?

"What's this for?" Konata asked, taking it slowly.

"That's quite a lot of money," Miyuki said. "Are you sure?"

"Number 505 is vacant. You need a place to stay."

"You mean... at your apartment building? Thanks... But there are a bunch more of us out there, we still need to figure out what to do," Konata said.

"I'll take care of it." And that was all Nagato had to say about it, apparently.

They left the room, stepping out into the hallway. Kyon felt a desire to just go home, and forget about this whole thing for a while. He checked the clock on the wall. It was already that late? Maybe it would be a good time for him to leave soon, too. Kyon felt like he'd probably go right to sleep as soon as he got there. Haruhi's little break or whatever she had decided to go off and do was turning out to be less fun than he had hoped.

"Nagato, you were acting a little different there. Something about that Izumi girl strike you funny?" he asked.

She had gone back to reading her book, and simply nodded in response.

* * *

Included with the money Nagato had given them was an address to the building. Even so, they had to ask some directions before finding their way there. It was a tall red building, plenty of windows on the outside. Konata didn't know how long this rent was for, but it was an expensive place to live, and no doubt it would be strange for them to pay with cash.

"We're just going to pay with all this? Is that okay?" Apparently Tsukasa was thinking the same thing she was.

"It was such a polite gesture, though, and she insisted we take it," Miyuki replied. "Although it feels so strange to accept a gift like that... Number 505, was it?"

"Yeah," Konata said.

They were coming right up to the front doors of the apartment complex when she felt the barrel of a gun press against the back of her head.

"Izumi Konata... If you've been having any second thoughts, now's the time to decide. Come back to us."

Konata remained still, as calm as possible despite being so scared. This had come out of nowhere, she was completely off guard. This wasn't a good position to be in, but she was a professional... Her friends were shocked into silence.

"You're... that guy in yellow..." Tsukasa said, almost in a whisper. It was amazing she could get any words out at all. At least now Konata knew who it was, and somehow she had been expecting something. Not this, though.

"You can make this easy, Konata. Just agree to work with us. We'll get along just fine." The voice was chilling.

"Who are you?" she asked, not making any movements. The gun seemed to push against her a bit harder.

"You know what I'm talking about. You want it all back, don't you?"

The realization struck her. Eclipse had sent him? True, she had wanted to go back with them, but what kind of organization would send someone to hold her at gunpoint? She didn't mean anything against them, this was completely unnecessary... But what could she do? She didn't want to agree to anything this guy said. And being at his mercy now, she couldn't fight him.

"Put the gun down. Let's talk." She waited for a response, but didn't feel it move away. The man still didn't say anything. "Just tell me what you want from me. Go on. I said you could - "

Konata noticed Tsukasa wasn't moving, either... Nobody was. It wasn't from nerves anymore, looking closely at them revealed that they had completely frozen, expressions of terror on their faces. The chilly breeze that had been blowing in her face lightly had stopped. Hesitantly, Konata started tilting her head forward, and not sensing any reaction from the assassin behind her, ducked down quickly and spun around to face him.

Seeing the man in yellow up close for the first time revealed some strange characteristics. Most instantly obvious was a hole in his forehead, about the size of a coin. It was bloody inside, but it wasn't leaking out. Then Konata noticed his eyes, which were pure black, no white around them, like the eyes of a rat. And the hand still holding the gun to where her head had been... wasn't exactly human.

Before anything else, she forced the handgun out of his grip, prying the yellow-nailed fingers out from around it. She glanced around, but nobody else was moving. So who had stopped time for her? Jason was capable of doing it, but if he was around she couldn't see him.

Everything started again in a rush.

The man's grip tightened around his gun, which wasn't there anymore. Konata was now between him and her friends, pointing the gun at his forehead... At the bloody hole which was already there. Now the blood inside was moving, flowing, but still not spilling out...

"Konata? How'd you - " Kagami started.

"How dare you!" the man shrieked, his voice distorted into something inhuman for a moment. He reached inside his coat, and for a split second Konata could see another gun holstered there.

She didn't even think, there wasn't time for that, she just fired the gun three times into his chest. Tsukasa screamed at the sound.

He stumbled backward, staring down at the wounds... Then collapsed backwards. Konata still had the gun aimed at him, waiting for his breathing to stop. Her own was heavy and tense. Finally she lowered the weapon.

"Konata... You just killed somebody!" Kagami said breathlessly.

"I hate to say it, but that's nothing new..." Konata said, devoid of much feeling. The tension had taken it out of her. "He was going to attack, I don't know - There just wasn't anything else I could do."

"Y-You moved so fast..." Tsukasa said. She could barely speak. "H-how... What'd you do?"

"I have no idea... Things have just been so weird lately. We really need to get away." Konata looked down at the corpse. It wasn't going anywhere. At least nobody had been around to witness it. The best plan she could see was to distance herself from the scene. They looked like ordinary teenagers, they were the last people anyone would suspect...

"Somebody had to have heard that," Kagami said. She glanced around frantically, looking at the apartments, the surrounding buildings. It seemed like a ghost town. "They're going to come any moment."

Konata stared at the gun in her hand, an old-fashioned revolver. Better this... creature... to have been killed, rather than her. She couldn't accept that Eclipse had really done that. Sent someone to take her back, or kill her if she refused? Then why even get rid of her in the first place?

She thought for a moment, but it didn't seem to follow any logical pattern. "Let's just get going. Nobody saw us. If we're lucky, we won't even be connected to this. They have no records that we exist... We'll come back to the apartment later. We just need to get out."

Nobody objected to leaving the scene as quickly as possible. Konata considered leaving the gun next to him, but by no stretch of the imagination did this look like a suicide. Instead she took it with her, storing it away with magic. It was the only possible incriminating evidence.

* * *

The incident had left them all on edge for at least a half hour afterwards. A few minutes after it had occurred, they had seen some people walking past, but nothing about them suggested they had heard the shots. From a distance it was easy to mistake the sound for something else. As they passed back by the bookstore they had seen early that morning, Tsukasa let out a yawn. It had been a long day, with more excitement than they were used to. Even Konata felt exhausted. Finally someone spoke up.

"You said that man... wasn't human?" Miyuki asked. "What was he?"

"You didn't see it? His eyes? That thing on his forehead?" Konata said. "I don't even want to think about it..."

"I'm with you on that," Kagami said, glancing nervously at a police officer as he passed by.

"Look, it's going to be fine. We'll go back to the apartments later, there'll probably be an investigation, but we'll act like we don't know anything. Maybe nobody saw us there. The only thing that could connect me to it would be fingerprints on the gun, but I took that." Konata worked through it in her mind, rationalizing it. "Forget about it for now... If anyone else like him shows up, I'll take care of it. Somehow." She might not be lucky enough to have someone help her next time. Who had it been, anyway?

"Exactly how many murders have you committed?" Kagami asked, honestly fearing that Konata would be able to provide a number.

"It's not murder. It was self-defense. And I only kill people when they attack me first."

Kagami groaned. "Forget everything I ever said about you. Can you please go back to being a socially inept otaku? I really felt better when that's all you were."

Konata didn't know how to respond. "Hey, let's turn here and circle around back to the apartment."

As they rounded the street corner, they saw Jason walking towards them. When he spotted them, he ran up to join the group.

"Konata. Good to see you. You talked with the brigade, then?" he asked.

"Yep. Nagato gave us some money for an apartment, and we were just headed back there..." Konata considered it for a moment, then asked, "Where were you about an hour ago? You didn't hear gunshots, did you?"

"Gunshots?" His eyes widened. "No, what happened?"

"Someone - Something tried to attack me. This is going to sound crazy, but I think he - it - was from Eclipse. But I don't see why they'd get rid of me, and then try to get me back in. Especially like that..." Konata said. "Oh, and we're fine. Someone caused a time stop, and I was able to get rid of him. Actually I thought maybe you had done it... I never saw who caused it."

Jason was listening with an expression of deep thought on his face, considered his response for some time, and finally said, "So they're desperate to get you back... They must have realized they made a mistake somewhere, but... you're right. There was... no reason for that. Don't let it worry you."

"Huh? What if there's another one? What then?"

"It'll be fine."

"How can you just - " Then Konata realized. "You know something, don't you? You know exactly what's going on and you're not telling me. I can't believe this, I thought I could trust _you_ - "

"Konata - " He was about to say something, but cut himself short. He sighed, and spoke quietly. "Yes... There has been something... But you'll just have to wait."

"Why wouldn't you tell me about this before?"

"Just trust me. I probably should have told you earlier, I don't know... We were going to meet in Nagato's apartment tonight and discuss it. Here, I'll give you the time and the apartment number." He took out a scrap of paper and wrote down some information. He handed it to her.

Konata read it, then turned back to him. "You'll explain - "

"Everything that I've been keeping from you. Yes. But I only want you to come, Konata. Originally this was just going to be to tell the SOS Brigade about it, but... Hm. Maybe this will be best."

"You already met with them, too? And you set something up with them..." She didn't have the strength or the desire to argue anymore. The time on the paper would be in several hours, and it was already beginning to get dark as the evening set in. Konata nodded, and placed the note in her pocket. "I'm the only one who's coming to this? Besides you and the brigade?"

"Once it's out, I'll let you decide if you want to tell anyone else about it... Until then, just take it easy. You've been under a lot of stress lately, I'm sure. Try to clear your mind a little, it'll make you feel better."

What an odd thing for him to say... But it was true, she really felt awful right now. Going back to the apartment to rest sounded like heaven right now. "Alright..." Konata said. "So I'll see you then, I guess. We were on our way back to the apartment. Do you have somewhere to go?"

"Yeah. Nagato's figured out places for everyone. Probably more to conceal us than anything else..."

"Who else have you found, anyway?"

"About an hour ago, I ran into Spike... You remember him, I'm sure. And then Joshua and Alucard were both together. Same story from all of them," Jason said, not needing to explain. "Spike confirmed what Rei said about things repairing themselves just before he was taken away."

"Wait, those are all people I know." It had been well over a year since she had seen Spike, even longer since she had met Alucard that one time.

"Quite a coincidence, isn't it? Spike and Alucard said they didn't even realize it was your world when they took the job. Anyway, I need to be getting back soon. I'll see you later..."

* * *

Finally reaching the apartment building as night began to set in, they noticed a few people walking past on the sidewalk. A train could be heard, the warning alarm going off at the crossing as it passed. Everything seemed ordinary enough. Despite the fact that -

"Huh? That's where it happened, isn't it?" Tsukasa said, looking at the sidewalk that was bare of any police warning tape, or even any blood. People walked past, going about their normal lives. "What happened to it?"

Konata stared at it for a while. Someone must have gotten rid of all the evidence... Eclipse? Or somebody else, going against the Organization and helping them instead? Whoever had assisted her escape, probably...

"Let's just forget about it. My feet are killing me," Kagami said. "That's just _great_ for you, though, isn't it, Konata? No criminal charges."

Once they entered the lobby, an old man was tending the front desk. He was sitting down, completely engrossed in a magazine article, and didn't see them as they approached the counter. They looked at each other for a moment, and seemed to silently decide on Konata as leader again. She tried to get his attention.

"Uh... excuse me?" Konata said. The old man didn't respond, so she spoke a little louder. "Excuse me!"

"Ah, yes. What did you need?" He smiled up at her.

"We heard that you had an empty apartment, Room 505? We'd like to take it."

"You're the Izumi girl? It's all ready and waiting for you."

"Wha - " Kagami started to ask, but Konata raised a hand to gesture her to stop. Probably something else Nagato had managed to arrange... Making an apartment reservation was one of the least strange things she knew Nagato to do.

"Thanks." Konata handed over the payment, and took the room key after the old man fished around for it.

"How odd, I remember the last tenant for that particular room paid in full cash as well. Strange..." He chuckled. "Never mind that, you seem like such nice girls."

"Thank you." Miyuki bowed politely.

Crowding into the tiny elevator, they moved up to the fifth floor and found the room. Konata unlocked the door, and upon opening it, they found it was fully furnished. There was a table, some floor mats, a sofa, and an inspection to the second room revealed it had some futons set up for them. All this had been moved in for them in just a few hours... Or at least Nagato had somehow created it. Konata knew from the anime that Nagato was capable of such things.

Kagami, after surveying the room for a moment, immediately headed over to the sofa and collapsed. She buried her face in the pillow, adjusted herself, then laid there still. "Just wake me up once you've got this whole thing figured out. I'll wait." Her voice was slightly muffled.

"You've got that meeting later, Kona-chan, but other than that, we'll just stay here, right?" Tsukasa said.

"Yeah... Go ahead." Konata hadn't needed a reminder about the meeting, it already absorbed all her thoughts. She couldn't believe Jason had been hiding anything from her - other than his home universe, she had always felt that he was open about anything else she wanted to know. But he was going to tell her whatever it was... She couldn't imagine what could possibly be going on, but at least that promise had renewed a little bit of faith in him.

She checked the clock. Two hours. Then she'd find out.


	23. Spatial Architects

It was getting close to midnight.

She didn't know the exact time that she had entered this universe, but Konata had to guess she was now going on twenty-four hours of being here. In the one place she had always dreamed of visiting, but... It hadn't been as great as she'd hoped. Everything was going wrong. They were stranded, Eclipse might be trying to kill her now, and Haruhi wasn't even here, whatever that might mean.

The apartment was dark and silent. Kagami hadn't moved from the couch, but Miyuki and Tsukasa had taken the futons in the other room. Konata was the only one left awake, and even though she'd been up for so long, and was so exhausted, she couldn't rest, she couldn't even sit down. Her nerves were getting to her. It was about time to go, so she headed out, taking care not to wake anyone.

Whatever Jason had been talking about... If he knew anything about what was going on, why wouldn't he just tell her? He'd always been so open. Well, everything except for telling about his home world, which had been understandable. A memory like that would be painful and hard to share. At least she'd been able to go back to her world, even if that had been when things started to go wrong.

Stepping into the elevator, Konata double-checked Jason's note, and selected Nagato's floor.

Did Jason have some sort of plan on how to leave this universe? That was unlikely, maybe this meeting had something to do with Haruhi... But that didn't seem like it would be it, either. She read the numbers on each door until she came to the right one, and, after pausing for a moment, realizing how anxious she felt, knocked.

The door cracked open. Nagato looked at Konata blankly for a moment, then said, "Come in."

The others were here already. All the brigade members, along with Jason, and they appeared to have already started talking. Jason turned to watch Konata for a moment.

"Good. You're here," he said.

Why did she have such an uneasy feeling? It looked like the others felt the same way, but...

"So there was something you wanted to tell me about?" Konata asked. "Sorry if I was late."

"It's no problem. I was just filling the others in. You're right on time," Jason said. "Konata... you've been okay lately?"

"More or less." This was one of the times when it was less.

"Good... We were just getting to the part that you haven't heard yet, either, so this is new to everyone here. It concerns something different about the Organization." He searched for some point to start out with. "I'm sure you remember I mentioned they have a special interest in people like Haruhi... People with abilities to change reality."

"You said 'people.' You don't mean there are more like her..." Kyon started.

"Eclipse has an entire division dedicated to observing them. There's a lot of potential there."

"And... they took Suzumiya-san with them?" Mikuru said.

"You think that's what happened to her?" Konata said. It almost made sense.

"Once I heard about your Organization, I also considered that possibility," Koizumi said. "Although taking her out of this universe and into another one could have potentially disastrous effects."

"There was a theory going around that having someone with those kinds of powers in Eclipse could... I don't know, exactly, none of us did. But a few different candidates were brought up, people who could be introduced into the Organization... and one of them was Haruhi. For that reason, we should probably assume that Haruhi may be aware to some degree about her powers," Jason added. "Or at least to the fact that alternate dimensions and magic could exist."

"Alright... So what do we do about it?" Konata considered asking something about why nobody else had come, if the purpose of the meeting was to develop a plan. "I mean, how are we supposed to go after her? We don't have any way out of this universe."

Jason picked up a stack of files that were on the table. Konata hadn't noticed them before, the one on top was in a regular-looking manila folder. The ones underneath were just sheets of paper stapled together. He took the first one off the top, glanced at the first page for a moment, and handed it to her. The others he passed out to each of the Brigade members.

"I'm taking a huge risk here, but... I'm hoping for the best," he said.

"Huh? What is this?" Konata said, looking down at her copy. This one was in English, and she recognized Jason's neat handwriting where it said "Izumi Konata, updated 2/28/07*" at the top.

"Konata, this is the most recently revised copy of the file that the Organization has been keeping on you for the past few years," he explained. "Normally even mentioning it to you would be enough to get me fired, but that's already been done. Oh, and I copied those into Japanese for the rest of you."

"So what's this all about?" Kyon said, staring blankly at the first page. "'Alleged date of death'?"

"There's a lot to cover... I figured this would be the easiest way to tell you about it," Jason said. Noticing Konata hadn't opened the file yet, he added, "Go ahead. I don't know what Eclipse is thinking right now, but I trust you enough to tell you the truth now. I think you're capable of taking this the best possible way."

Konata nodded, feeling awkward and unsure, then opened to the first page and began reading.

* * *

Chapter 23

Learn to Believe

* * *

Eclipse

Division 19 Report

CONFIDENTIAL

Do not reveal to unauthorized personnel without written consent

Name: Izumi Konata

DOB: May 28, 1989*

*All dates hereon will be relative to home universe timeline

Age: 18

Hair: Blue/Originally black

Eyes: Green/Originally brown

Hometown: Saitama Prefecture, Tokyo, Japan

Universe: Lucky Star instance #005230163 (see manga/anime by Yoshimizu Kagami, Kyoto Animation)

Profile: Student attending Ryoo High School. Extremely unmotivated, no career plans after school. Extensive interest in and knowledge of anime, manga, and video games. Part-time job at cosplay cafe.

Lives with father, cousin. Mother is deceased.

Joined Eclipse 2 years ago as of time of publication, has lived away from home universe for nearly one year. Adept in most forms of combat, specializing in swords and magic techniques.

Alleged date of death: May 21, 2006

* * *

All of these facts were basic things Konata already knew... The paper on top was clean and white, apparently new. A few photos of her were included with the file. Some of them were recent. Most of them looked like home, but several showed her with her classmates from Gekkokan. A few seemed to be from a long time ago, before she joined the Organization, and taken from camera angles that would suggest the photographer had been avoiding notice.

She turned to the next sheet of paper and continued reading.

Her expression changed partway through the first paragraph, and she looked up at Jason, who remained silent and serious-looking. She thought of asking him something, but decided against it. As she went on she found it impossible to tear herself away from the words printed on the page. There was no way this could all be true... could it?

* * *

Activity Report

**12/17/03**

Massive energy flow first detected from Lucky Star universe, instance #005230163. Center of activity appears to be Izumi Konata. Trigger event, if any, is unknown. According to Eclipse observations conducted shortly after, the subject gained ability to shape reality on this date, coinciding with the date that another subject, Suzumiya Haruhi (Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi universe, instance #015632110) gained the same ability.

Although both subjects appear to have similar levels of power, Izumi is not reported to apply it as liberally. The following phenomena are observed:

Increase in physical ability and fitness noted, despite lack of training or conditioning. Izumi quickly gains reputation as one of the most talented athletes at her school, but refuses to join teams or clubs.

Also observed are boosted grades, starting with her high school entrance exam. Little preparation is shown, amount of study time both in and out of class seems inconsistent with final result. Academic progress shows a similar pattern throughout the year.

New acquaintances made during first weeks of high school seem to mimic patterns Izumi prefers in manga - first contact is made with Hiiragi Tsukasa, then Hiiragi Kagami and Takara Miyuki. These girls seem to exemplify standards of "moe," "tsundere," or "meganekko" characteristics, who Izumi is known to be attracted to in manga or anime works.

Izumi's health starting on date of energy spike improves, no genuine cases of illness are reported. No visits to doctor, dentist, or hospital are made outside of routine checkups, all of which reveal positive results. However, Izumi has stopped growing, instead remaining in a childlike form she seems to take pride in.

Dedication to hobbies reach impressive levels. Izumi shows a strange talent for finding rare prizes in both real-world merchandise and virtual online games. Also noted is frequent winning of mail-in contest events.

Similar minor alterations are witnessed and reported throughout Izumi Konata's first year of high school. Unlike Suzumiya, no explicitly supernatural phenomena are witnessed, instead all activity seems to revolve around Izumi's dislike of work and desire to pursue hobbies.

**4/3/05**

Shortly before the beginning of Izumi Konata's second high school year, Eclipse member Jason Ellis is deployed in her universe. Ellis was inducted into Division 19 several days before commencing this mission. His goal is to observe Izumi at close range by attending school with her for one year as an exchange student, and reporting any more activity to Eclipse.

**4/14/05**

By special request of Eclipse Organization leader Rendor Forsythe, original plans regarding Izumi Konata are altered. Jason Ellis reveals the existence of the Organization to her and allows her to join, leading her under the assumption that she is a normal recruit. During an initial training mission, Izumi's skills in combat surpass the average level for a recruit of her experience level. The knowledge that her universe has a manga based upon it is revealed to Izumi after the training is complete, news which she fully embraces.

**4/15/05**

Izumi Konata first expresses interest in meeting Suzumiya Haruhi face-to-face. Her interest in Suzumiya is suspicious, but it appears that she has no knowledge of her own abilities. Due to unknown results if the two subjects were to meet face-to-face, the request is likely to never be granted.

**5/5/05**

Training is finished, and Izumi takes her first official mission in the Hellsing universe, instance #095110030. A fatal mistake is made and she is fatally shot, however, she survives long enough to be found and turned into a vampire by Seras Victoria, non-affiliated partner of another Organization member, Alucard. The severity of the wounds suggests that Izumi should have been dead within seconds, yet lasted for over seven minutes until she was found.

**5/6/05**

After successfully hiding her curse for one day, Jason Ellis provides a potion said to be a cure for vampirism, although in reality it has no such properties. Despite this fact, Izumi Konata is cured after drinking it due to a bizarre placebo effect she unknowingly caused.

**6/9/05**

Izumi begins working at a cosplay cafe where she portrays Suzumiya Haruhi. Even before being told that she shares a voice actor (Aya Hirano, notably one of her favorite pop singers) with Suzumiya in their respective anime, Izumi has an uncanny ability to mimic her voice, both speaking and singing after some practice.

This connection is unconfirmed as another link between the two subjects, but is under investigation.

**7/12/05**

Izumi is allowed to go on her first mission alone, a rescue operation to find a lost member, Kamina (origin: Gurren Lagann instance #162051310) after he was stranded during a mission in Cowboy Bebop, instance #000571321. Typical rescue missions are expected to take anywhere from several days to over a year, but Izumi is able to find the missing person within a matter of hours, only minutes after expressing her desire to finish the mission to her temporary partner Spike Spiegel.

After returning Kamina to Eclipse headquarters, Izumi attempted to breach security and enter Division 19's offices, apparently in an attempt to learn more about surveillance of Suzumiya. The security system recognizes her name and she is blocked from entering and potentially discovering her own files, with possibly disastrous results. Several days later a warning is issued to discourage further investigation.

**9/19/05**

During the Ryoo High School Athletic Festival, Izumi makes an interesting comment, attributing her allegedly natural athletic abilities to "visualization techniques."

**1/1/06**

Izumi Konata, Hiiragi Tsukasa, and Hiiragi Kagami attend Comiket, along with Jason Ellis. Independently-published titles that Izumi buys and takes interest in often become wildly popular afterwards. In addition, she is frequently able to buy the final remaining copy of certain books before they are completely sold out and become too hard to find otherwise.

**1/8/06**

After arrangements made at Comiket several days earlier, Izumi Konata and Jason Ellis are requested to join a new recruit, Ayanami Rei, in what is labelled as an "impossible mission." The event was arranged specifically as a test of her ability to turn a situation in her favor.

After infiltrating the NERV base in Evangelion instance #340201730, Izumi mentions the issue of bypassing security cameras. Moments later, the cameras are destroyed with no probable cause.

The mission is not a full success; although EVA Unit 00 is easily taken back to the Eclipse-sponsored NERV in Evangelion instance #203253220, the other aforementioned instance is destroyed as a result of the removal. Jason Ellis returns to personally report the damages, but is allowed to continue his mission.

**2/19/06**

First reported incident of closed space being created in the Lucky Star universe, instance #005230163. Cause is attributed to Izumi Konata's continued depression after the destruction of Evangelion instance #340201730. Espers newly recruited by Eclipse are taken without Izumi's knowledge into her universe in order to prevent destruction of her universe.

Similar incidents occur afterwards, although isolated.

An analysis of Izumi's version of closed space compared to Suzumiya's version of the same phenomena reveal that Izumi often creates smaller spaces, usually ranging from 1-3 km in diameter, with several smaller "Celestials" as opposed to a single giant one. The Celestials produced by Izumi Konata are approximately 1/3 the size of the beings produced by Suzumiya Haruhi, but use their numbers to cause roughly equal amounts of damage.

**3/27/06**

After the end of the school year, Jason Ellis is transferred out of Lucky Star instance #005230163, although he will still remain in contact with Izumi Konata. She makes plans to depart from her world as well to pursue a full-time membership with Eclipse. Following her decision, creation of closed space becomes more frequent, and permission is eventually granted for Izumi to leave her universe.

**5/21/06***

Izumi Konata carries out the arranged plan, staging her own death under the pretense of a random killing in the Akihabara district of Tokyo. Due to a thunderstorm, the "murder" is easily concealed and there are no witnesses.

Her first full-time mission takes place in Fire Emblem instance #000261811 ("Path of Radiance"). After moving into this universe, closed space incidents continue to occur somewhat frequently, although now entirely contained within the universe she is currently stationed in. No further activity is reported in Lucky Star instance #005230163.

Izumi shows the ability to function at an above-average level despite severe sleep deprivation, proving a hypothesis formed prior to her Eclipse membership.

On a training run, she finds the rare weapon "Laevateinn" entirely by chance. It matches one of her favorite weapons from a certain massively multiplayer online game.

**1/19/07***

After completing the aforementioned assignment in Fire Emblem, Izumi Konata and Jason Ellis move onto a specially assigned mission in Persona 3 instance #821053401.

Ellis is instructed to tell Izumi that they both possess the ability to use Personas, however, this is an ability that is only found in native residents of the Persona universe. Ellis is deployed into the universe first, and after two days discovers he now has the Persona ability due to Izumi's belief in his suggestion. Izumi also displays this new ability once she enters the universe. It continues to function up to the time of this publication.

Before arriving in Persona 3 a week after Ellis, Izumi is stationed in the Eclipse headquarters for close observation of energy flow. Her level of power has increased significantly from the initial studies three years earlier.

* * *

That was the end of the last page, leading all the way up to her most recent mission. Konata was the last one to finish reading. She laid the packet down on the table slowly, her hand trembling, trying to make sense of everything in her mind. She couldn't think of anything to say. Looking up at the Brigade members, they were all watching her. Mikuru had an expression of terror, like Konata could just explode at any moment or something. And maybe she could.

She felt dizzy, lightheaded, almost like she was watching the events in this room from miles away.

"Nagato, I'm sure you noticed the energy readings around Konata as soon as she entered this universe," Jason said.

"Correct." Nagato had her copy of the packet closed and laid back on the table in front of her neatly.

"I'm only speaking for myself here, but I wouldn't trust Haruhi with this kind of knowledge about herself," Jason said. "Konata, on the other hand... I've worked with you for two years now. Your self-control has really improved to the point where I thought this could work."

Everyone was silent until finally Koizumi spoke up. "Konata, you finished reading it, then... And it doesn't seem like you've made any world-altering changes in the past few minutes, so it should be fine." He gave her a good-natured smile.

"What this means is that... I'm the same as Haruhi?" Konata said quietly.

"Potentially," Jason said. "Like it said, you never made any major changes in your world... at least not until I let you join the Organization and you starting finding reasons to. You always seemed safer to work with than Haruhi was. That's why we chose you."

Konata had turned back to the first page, looking at the section describing her academic improvement, and even meeting her friends... No, they had all _chosen_ to be friends with her, she hadn't forced them to... She had always liked that they had been like real-life versions of archetypal anime characters. But what this report suggested was crazy.

"There was a theory passed around that we should tell you everything, once we knew more about how your ability works," Jason said. "It was never officially approved, but this seemed like as good a time as any."

"All of that... You knew everything all along." Konata stared down at the file, examining a photo paperclipped to the front page. It was most likely from her freshman year, and it showed her walking home from school with Kagami and Tsukasa. The picture was slightly out of focus, shot from a distance.

"But you have to understand, nobody knew what would happen if you found out," Jason said. "I thought this was our last hope of getting out of this world, and besides, you'd been acting up to the point where even you were noticing what you were doing, even if you didn't know you caused it. The Brigade has experience dealing with Haruhi, so I decided to tell them about you."

"Um... I was always told that... if Suzumiya-san found out about this... she'd..." Mikuru stammered slightly.

"That she'd destroy the world," Kyon finished. "I've heard _that_ one enough."

"No, I've... seen enough worlds be destroyed, I'd never do something like that..." Konata said. The very idea sounded ridiculous. Being seriously concerned that she might destroy the world by accident? And yet... Maybe that's why this whole situation didn't seem as awesome as it could.

"That file hasn't been updated for a few weeks, but in the past day you've done some more... extreme things, I think that would be the word," Jason said. "First off, the fact that we ended up here..."

How had she not realized that before? Konata realized now that she had been the only one to faint, the only one to have a headache...

"I assume that before all of us ended up in this world, you were probably thinking something along the lines of getting away from all that destruction, running away from what was happening to your world... Returning it to normal. And according to what Rei said about the damage repairing itself, it looks like you were able to do just that," Jason said. "Joining Eclipse was something of a catalyst for your powers, but the destruction of your home universe pushed you even farther... I don't think the effect has worn off yet, either. You're still more powerful than usual."

"All that stuff that happened, then... I did that..." Konata said, simply confirming it to herself. What he had guessed about her thoughts when it had happened had been spot-on, she had been desperate for a way out. For everyone.

"Who else would have brought us here, out of all the possible universes we could end up in? It was the one place you always wanted to come but were never allowed to. You said it was your ultimate goal once," Jason said.

"And what were you saying about that event being a catalyst?" Koizumi asked. "The destruction of your home world..." He consulted the packet in his hand. "'Lucky Star,' it said. Has anything else occurred since you came here?"

"Right. I couldn't forget about _that_," Jason said, nodding. "Konata, what exactly happened when you were attacked outside the apartment building?"

"I... Well, that guy came up behind me, and he said something about coming back to 'them...' I think he was from Eclipse. He never said that specifically, though." Konata was beginning to put together what the encounter had been about.

"Your organization attacked you?" Mikuru said. "Why?"

"That's what I'm not sure about. When I heard that Konata had been removed from the Organization, along with the rest of us who ended up here, I assumed the experiment had been considered a failure and they had no more interest in her. They must have made some kind of mistake, but I don't know what they're after. That led me to think that Eclipse must have been the ones to take Haruhi away." Jason turned back to Konata, and she took it as a sign to continue her account of what happened.

"Yeah, so the guy held up a gun, but somehow... I guess I was the one who stopped time, wasn't I..." Jason nodded, but let her go on. "I stopped time for just a minute so that I could get away. I didn't have any other choice, he was going to come after us again, so I killed him... Then when we came back an hour later, there was nothing there."

"Great. You used your ability to get away with murder," Kyon said, sounding oddly like Kagami had.

"It was the only way..." Konata said quietly. "So I did all of that? The time stop, getting rid of the evidence... That was all me?"

"It would seem so," Jason said.

Konata was still trying to put everything together... Now that she knew about herself, what was the next step? They were stuck in this universe for now, there was nothing they could - She stopped, realizing what this was all about.

"You said that Eclipse might have taken Haruhi?" Konata said. "Do you know why?"

"From what you said, Konata already had what they wanted," Koizumi said. "So why would they have gotten rid of her, and taken Suzumiya-san instead? And so quickly, as well."

"That's what I can't be sure of. They never told me anything about it except they were 'interested' in Konata's potential, and I was just supposed to report what happened. If they took Haruhi away without warning like that, it would almost seem like they desperately needed her for something... And Konata wasn't able to provide that." Jason rubbed his forehead.

"What would they want Suzumiya-san for?" Mikuru said.

"We don't know enough to assume anything," Jason replied. "But I don't like the way it looks. At least if we have Konata, that gives us something of an advantage."

"I transported all of us out of my universe before. What you're trying to get me to do is repeat that, so that we can find Haruhi... and get back home," Konata said, putting the pieces together. "That's right, isn't it?"

"You catch on quick... You've always been good at that," Jason said. "Now, your power works subconsciously, from what I've observed, but if you can convince yourself you need to leave in order to accomplish those goals, you might be able to do it."

"Izumi's power is currently at 119% of Suzumiya's average level. The plan has a slim chance of success," Nagato said.

"It's risen that much, then... Usually your power would be the same as hers," Jason explained.

"Alright..." Konata said. That was hard to imagine, that right now she was more powerful that Haruhi... who was pretty much God. "But that doesn't change the fact that I really don't know what I'm doing."

Koizumi set his copy of the file down on the table after he finished reviewing it another time. "I'm actually starting to have some faith in this plan, believe it or not. Just take it easy, Konata. It's not likely to have any immediate results. How about we meet again tomorrow?"

"Sounds good. Konata, it would probably be best for you to try and get some sleep," Jason said. "You've been conflicted lately, which hasn't been good. Just focus on what needs to be done."

Konata stood up, and after some consideration took the file with her. Maybe reading it over a few times would help her somehow... Even if it was only a way to come to terms with the facts. But there was something just so uncomfortable about knowing she had that kind of power inside her.

The others handed the copies back to Jason, then headed out. Kyon had a fatigued look on his face.

"Can't believe there's another one like Haruhi out there..." he said.

"Guess you haven't met Sasaki yet, then?" Konata asked.

"Sasaki...? What does she have to do with this?" he said, shocked.

"Uh... Nevermind." Konata turned to Jason. "Hey, you don't mind if I take this with me, do you?" She gestured with the folder in her hand.

"Go ahead."

She stared out the window for a moment, watching the darkened sky and the lights of some cars passing by... Then she headed for the door to go back to their temporary home in this world.

* * *

Konata headed back in silence. This was just too much responsibility... If she had these abilities all along, and was using them, why did she have to know about them? She couldn't help the feeling that she could be dangerous now, just by thinking about the wrong things...

And she was expected to somehow get them to a different universe using only her mind. It sounded crazy. But she'd done it once before.

She stopped walking, and looked around. There was nobody out here, the hallway was empty. And suppose she tried to create some sort of a portal, right there in front of her. She focused on a spot about two meters away. Tried to think about Saitama - her Saitama, not this or any other world's. Closing her eyes, she imagined some kind of a gate opening up that would take her and her friends back home...

She opened her eyes.

Of course, nothing was there.

She sighed. Could she really do it? So much for those theories that it was possible to control this kind of power.

Last time, she'd taken all of them out of the city, despite everyone being spread out miles away from each other. And apparently she'd also repaired all the damage to the city... That seemed more impossible than anything else she'd heard. Attempting something major like that was probably the reason she had been knocked unconscious in the process. Maybe at some point, she'd do that again without realizing it, and everyone would go on to some new world without warning... Which would really suck. They needed to prepare.

She felt cold, standing out there by herself. This building really cranked the air conditioning, even at this time of year. She quickened her pace to get back to the room, despite not wanting to face her friends right now. Kagami had said no more secrets, after all.

Maybe it would be best for all of them just to know about it.

* * *

Kagami woke up with something purple hanging in front of her face. She stared at it for a while, noting a thin black outline around the edge, how it seemed to come to a sharp point on the end... then realized it was her hair. With that, her final shred of hope vanished. Everything that had happened yesterday was still there, it hadn't been a dream.

Still tired, she managed to pull herself up to a sitting position on the couch, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, Kagami... you're awake." She turned to see Konata standing by the window, looking utterly exhausted. It would take a while to get used to that blue hair... And also the fact that she wasn't dead.

"I guess I am..." Why couldn't this have all been a dream? "You don't look so good, Konata... didn't you get any sleep?"

"No, there's kind of... a lot on my mind right now." She gave a strange, nervous laugh at that. "It's the middle of the afternoon, by the way. You guys really overslept. I expected this from Tsukasa, but you and Miyuki? _That's_ different."

Kagami spotted her hair ribbons on the end table next to the sofa she had been sleeping on. She took one and started trying to tie her hair, but it was more difficult than usual. She clumsily tried to get the ribbons around her hair, but her fingers kept slipping. With everything looking different she could barely manage it. Being in this world. Somehow being in Suzumiya Haruhi's universe, with her friend who had died nearly a year ago. Which reminded her of something. "So how'd that meeting thing go last night? Please tell me you guys figured out how to get us out of here."

"About that... I don't think you're going to like it." Konata had gone back to staring out the window, like she was avoiding eye contact.

Kagami had walked over into the bathroom to find a mirror. She tried to fix her hair the way she usually did, but... She really didn't like seeing her new self in the mirror, and couldn't coordinate herself with her own reflection as long as it was like that. "Konata, anything that gets us out of here is fine by me," she called out. "It's not like it could possibly get any worse."

In the mirror, she saw Konata come in behind her. "Having some trouble there, Kagamin?" She was grinning, but it was a weak attempt, nothing like her usual self.

"Yeah... Could you help me with this?" How embarrassing, she couldn't even tie her own hair. Sleeping with her ponytails tied messed them up, but as long as she was sleeping in her clothes too, it probably wouldn't have hurt. "How did you get to be so comfortable with everything the way it is? I mean, this whole... style, or whatever you'd call it."

Konata started tying the ribbon into a bow. "I guess it's just - " She stopped for a moment, then said quietly, as if this somehow revealed some great truth, "It's just the way I always... wanted things to be. Of course..." She quickly moved on to the next side, finished in a hurry, then said, "So let's wake up the others now. I think everyone needs to hear about this."

* * *

"You're _what?_" Kagami said in disbelief.

"Kona-chan, what does that mean?" Tsukasa said.

"What's most important right now is that I can probably get us out of this universe... I just don't know how to," Konata admitted. "I don't remember what I was thinking when I brought us to this world, but it'll probably be the same thing as that..."

Miyuki was examining Konata's file. They had all been passing it around to read the notes. "This is all so strange... You've been this way ever since the end of middle school, it says?"

"I guess so," Konata said. "It's just... I don't know, it's weird."

"Yeah, _kind of,_" Kagami said. "I always knew you weren't normal. This is more than I can handle."

"Don't look at me like that. I don't want you to act different just because of this... I can barely understand it myself. I promise I'll somehow get us back home, though."

Tsukasa was looking through the collection of photographs, particularly the ones that she or Kagami were in. Those ones were her first glimpse of what their world would look like once they got back. And then there were a few of Konata wearing a black school uniform that Tsukasa didn't recognize, standing with other students in similar attire.

_Mi-mi-mirakuru, Mikurunrun, Mi-mi-mirakuru, Mikurunrun!_

They looked up at the unexpected bit of music that played. Konata recognized it first, and couldn't help but wonder what Mikuru would think if she heard that ringtone. They'd already filmed the movie it came from, hadn't they? Yeah, they had said it was just recently finished...

"My phone's working again?" She fished in her pockets, trying to find where she had put it. She pulled it out as the first verse began playing. "Hello?"

"Izumi. We need you to meet us in the park. There's something you need to see." The flat, emotionless tone revealed that it was Nagato on the other end.

"The... park? Yeah, I'll head down there."

The phone clicked off before she could say anything else. Konata glanced out the window as she idly put her phone away. The park was right there. She assumed that was the one, anyway.

"Who was that?" Tsukasa asked.

"Nagato said there's something in the park I need to see. You can probably come too, I guess..." Konata said.


	24. Like A Rolling Stone

It appeared to be a door. Solid, smoothly finished wood, a brass knob, but no frame around it. Hinges were on one side, but they weren't fastened to anything. And it was standing right in the middle of the sidewalk. It almost looked commonplace, for all the attention it was getting. An old couple walked past it without giving it a second thought, but watching the nine students who had gathered around it. A woman led her dog past, and it barked excitedly at them. That was when Konata realized - most people couldn't even see that it was there.

"What is that?" Tsukasa asked, after they had all stared at it in silence for several moments.

"A gateway," Nagato said. "It leads to a certain unspecified alternate world." By her tone of voice, she could have been telling them about the weather.

"Did I... make this?" Konata said.

"It would seem so. You don't know anything about it, Konata?" Koizumi asked. "I'm quite impressed by it, to tell the truth. I've never seen anything like this."

Konata shook her head. She watched as Mikuru circled around the door, looking at the backside of it... But, judging by her expression as she saw it, there was something wrong.

"There isn't a..." she started. "W-what's going on? Is it still there?"

Konata walked over to where she was, and turned back to look at where it had stood. Nothing was there now, she could clearly see the others who were standing on the other side. From this standpoint, everything, even the shadow it had cast, were gone, or just invisible.

"So this will take us back home, right?" Kagami asked. She walked forward to open it, Konata and Mikuru watching as her hand closed around the doorknob that was invisible from their perspective.

"Don't open it," Nagato instructed.

"Huh? Why not?" Kagami said. She backed away, awaiting an explanation.

"We still don't know exactly where this door leads," Koizumi said. "There's a good chance it might only be one way. Not to mention there are others left to investigate."

"There's more than one?" Miyuki said.

"So far we've found three other gateways like this one, all spread around across the city. We found the first one in the club room, actually. There's one in the center of an intersection, and another one at the train station just across the street." Koizumi looked over at Konata. "You did a good job with these. Do you have any idea where you're taking us?"

That was a weird thought, that she had created all these things that she didn't know a thing about... "Thanks, I guess... I don't know. What's the plan?"

"Um... these don't go anywhere dangerous, do they?" Tsukasa said. "You wouldn't do that, right, Kona-chan?" The question was added like a second thought.

"I don't think so..."

"This is all very exciting, but I need to get home soon. There's a big homework assignment - " Kyon started.

"No, if we're doing this, you need to come," Jason said. Addressing all four of the Brigade members, he explained, "Haruhi doesn't know anyone else in our group. If we find her, she'll most likely trust the people she recognizes. And..." He scanned the portal, which sat there motionless. "If there are four of these total..." He thought for a moment, and added, "We'll split into teams and go through them. One of you will be with each one."

Kyon stared at him. "You're suggesting all of us just drop everything and go off... wherever this thing leads?"

"I've got a really bad feeling about whatever happened to Haruhi. Somehow I just know... We need to figure out what's going on, maybe even stop it. It scared me even to let Konata into the Organization at first, and she was considered the _safe_ choice. If Haruhi's been taken somewhere, who knows what's going on?"

His words sank in for a while. Konata circled back around so that the door became visible again, and laid her hand against it. The wood was solid, it even felt warm in the sunlight. What would happen if someone who couldn't see it ran into it? Would it still be there, or was it just an illusion, albeit one with a physical form? If this was part of her power, it just made everything that much more confusing.

"Something tells me that this is the best decision we can make for the time being..." Koizumi mused. "Though there is a fair amount of risk involved, and we _would_ be dropping everything and going into the unknown."

"Um, I'll have to check with my superiors if I'm allowed to go into... different worlds... and stuff," Mikuru said.

"It'll be alright. Let's come up with teams..." Konata said, remembering Jason's idea, which had sounded good. "One of these has to lead to wherever Haruhi is. And maybe..." She remembered the night before, when she had tried to create a way back home. Nothing had appeared at first, but here it was. "Maybe one of them goes back to my world."

"How do we know which one?" Tsukasa asked. "I really just want to go home, Mom and Dad are probably so worried..."

"And what about the other two doors?" Kagami said. "How do we know which one goes where?"

There were four of them - Konata, Kagami, Tsukasa, Miyuki. Four gateways - here, the club room, the train station, and the intersection. Four remaining members of the SOS Brigade - Kyon, Nagato, Mikuru, Koizumi. An idea was forming in Konata's mind, all these pieces were coming together... and it wasn't a coincidence. Deep down she had known they would need all these things, it all fit together so perfectly. She saw it now - she had arranged this.

"How many other Eclipse members are there in this world right now, other than us?" she asked, her hand still up against the door, wondering what was on the other side of this one. The side that couldn't be seen from this universe, because it existed in another.

"Let's see..." He paused to total them up. "Seven. And if we can find Dante, that would be eight people altogether," Jason said.

"Find him," Konata said, gaining some confidence. An even sixteen. Last night she hadn't felt so good, but now it was like she was in control again. "We'll make four teams of four. If one of these goes back home, then whoever gets there needs to tell everyone what happened. Especially my dad... He's probably so confused." She looked at her friends, who were silent, but nodded in understanding. "And whichever one leads to Haruhi... We should have one of the SOS Brigade in each team, to talk to her, like you said. And then two more in each team for extra defense... just in case it's needed."

"Slow down, Konata, this isn't one of your games. You seriously want us to split up?" Kagami said. "I don't even _know_ these people, I don't know if I can even trust them."

"I'd be going on my own... Without any of you?" Tsukasa said, suddenly panicking.

"Yeah, pretty much..." Konata said. She realized what it must sound like, but went on anyway. "But _I_ know everyone who ended up here. I trust all of them. You'll be in good hands." She did know all of them, after all... More undeniable proof of what she'd been told. Somehow, she'd drawn them in to save her world, people she could trust... And now they were here to help her with this next task.

"Before we make any final decisions, we should talk to these other Eclipse members... Former members, I guess I should say," Koizumi said.

"That's good. Let's have a meeting right away to come up with team assignments." Something almost frightening flashed in Konata's eyes, a familiar spark not unlike when she would commit herself to some game or collecting merchandise. "And I think we should get going tonight."

"That soon?" Miyuki said. "Well, um... I suppose that... the quicker we get started..."

"You're sure this is okay, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa said.

"I wouldn't let anything happen to you guys. I'd never want that to happen. And doesn't that count for something?" Konata said. "You all read that file. Of course it does. We'll gather up supplies, extra clothes and food..."

"Hang on, I can't just let Tsukasa go on her own, either," Kagami said. She turned towards Tsukasa, who silently agreed.

"If I did that, it would be too many people on one team who couldn't do anything if the situation were dangerous... I don't like taking these risks, but I think it's for the best."

* * *

Chapter 24

No Direction Home

* * *

"I really can't talk you out of this..." Kagami said. "You're trying to get us all killed. That's what it is."

She had been trying to avoid this since Konata first suggested the idea. All throughout the day, as they bought supplies and met with the other Eclipse members, she'd been desperately trying to convince Konata that this went against all sense and logic. There was no way she'd just let Tsukasa go out to some unknown world on her own. Not to mention Miyuki, too. They weren't cut out for this.

This was the last chance. Standing outside the apartment complex, under the glow of a streetlight, knowing it could be a long time before they ever met again. Maybe it had been a good thing that Konata had gone back home to save them from their doomed city. And maybe it had even been logical when, after realizing where they were, they had met with the SOS Brigade. Hell, Kagami was even willing to try one of these gateways that Konata had poofed into existence - provided the four of them all went _together._

"I'm sorry, Kagamin. I really am. But this is what we're supposed to do, I just know it," Konata said. "And you probably won't die... Uh, everyone knows where they're going, right?"

"I can't believe it... You really think it's a good idea for us to split up like this," Kagami said. "I'm sorry, I just can't agree to this."

"Look, one of those doors has to lead back home. I just wish I understood what they were... But if one of us goes into each one, then one of us will get back there."

"_One_ of us?" Kagami said in horror.

"It'll be okay... right?" Tsukasa said. Her faith was impressive, though she was still shaky. "And... all of us will get back there eventually, right?"

"Of course. Everything will turn out fine, I'll make sure of it." Konata knew that she wanted all of them to go back home, once this thing was sorted out. She really knew nothing about the gateways she had created. For all she knew, the four of them could just end up in separate places in the same world. The only thing she had thought about last night was creating a way to go back home, nothing else.

She'd learned never to assume anything.

"Are you really so sure about that?" Kagami said, almost like she was reading her mind.

"Hey, weren't you saying you guys were getting ready to go off to different colleges? You'd all be apart?" Konata said. "Think of it like that - "

"That's _nothing_ like what you're suggesting," Kagami said. "You're insane."

"So whichever one of us gets the one that goes back to..." Miyuki racked her brain for a moment, recalling what the file had called it. "Lucky Star, if I remember correctly. What do we do then?"

"I want you to tell them everything - to all of our families, definitely... Depending on how people are handling the whole demon situation, maybe go public, and tell them it's all over," Konata said. "But I'll leave that decision up to you guys."

"Everything. Including the part about you being God," Kagami mumbled. Her tone was bitter.

"Uh... yeah," Konata said. "That should probably be part of it..." Didn't anyone realize how that made her feel? It was probably more uncomfortable for her than anyone else. Nobody else had to worry about their subconscious ripping open the fabric of space and time. Or that they'd create a portal to a world that would be dangerous... Konata tried to focus on Haruhi, on her dad, and if anything else, just think about places that were _safe._

"But if we get one of the doors that goes somewhere else, what do we do then?" Tsukasa asked. It was obvious she really didn't want that to be her - Konata herself was actually hoping that Tsukasa would be the one to go home. With any luck, it would end up just so. Kagami would probably be able to take care of herself, Miyuki was at least able to think rationally under pressure...

"You won't be alone... All of the Eclipse members know how to fight, they'll help you if there's any danger." Konata tried to emphasize the 'if.'

"This really is the only way to move forward, isn't it..." Kagami said. She wasn't really asking, but simply resigning herself to an unpleasant fact. "I know I'm going to regret this."

"Hey, it'll all turn out fine, you'll see," Konata said. "This might be an opportunity for me to figure out how to control this thing... And I'd like to go back home as much as you guys do. I had a promise to keep."

"You've really grown up since we last saw you... haven't you, Konata-san?" Miyuki said.

"I guess I have..." All was silent. Tsukasa opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. None of them knew when they'd be together again, and there wasn't much to be said anymore. Konata finally spoke again. "We shouldn't keep the others waiting... Time to head out, I guess."

They headed out in three directions - Konata in one, Kagami in another, Tsukasa and Miyuki staying together for at least a few blocks. The silence was deafening.

* * *

The four of them met in the club room - Konata, Junpei, Jason, and Koizumi. It was dark, though the door standing upright in front of the window had been immediately noticeable, a dark shadow against the navy-blue night sky.

"Excellent work getting us in here, Iori-san," Koizumi said.

"All I did was unlock a door... It's nothing special," Junpei replied. "I've done it before on certain occasions when we needed to break into the school. You guys remember that, right?"

"How could I forget that?" Jason said. Konata grinned at the memory.

Koizumi simply nodded contemplatively, and turned his attention back towards the portal. The club room was familiar - at least to himself and Konata - but somehow had an ominous feeling in the air. And the fact that one of the four portals had appeared right here, out of all possible places... Did it mean something? Perhaps this one had some sort of significance that the others didn't, it's placement seemed to serve a purpose instead of being random.

"We're doing this, then..." Konata said. "I'll open it."

She hesitated a moment after gripping the knob, then turned it and slowly pulled it open. It shifted soundlessly, the loose hinges apparently attached to something unseen, allowing it to swing outward normally. And inside...

Pitch blackness.

"You sure we should be going in there?" Junpei said, peering into the void. "I mean, I realize who you are and everything..."

Konata tentatively stuck her hand through, then her entire forearm. It was as if it was passing through a curtain, disappearing as it touched and entered the dark.

"Huh... It's warm..." Actually, it was almost hot. And windy. She couldn't be sure, but maybe some grains of sand were blowing against her. She tried pulling back out, and felt the shock of cool air of the vacant school again on her skin. "I guess it's safe, then. I'll go first."

Now she passed through the doorway completely.

* * *

Konata's black hair blew all around her, and she squinted in the intense sunlight. Turning around, she couldn't see any sign of the doorway anymore until the other three stepped out of what now looked like empty space. Jason was the only one she recognized at first - she'd never seen Junpei or Koizumi as real people before.

"Wow..." Junpei said. "So where are we now?"

Koizumi looked around. "Looks like a desert."

"I could tell that... Whoa. Konata, your hair's back to normal... Everything is."

"Speak for yourself. I guess I just don't like things being like this..." she replied. She gazed off into the distance, but couldn't see anything but more dirt and sand. In one direction there was a hazy mountain range against the cloudless blue horizon, too far off to reach. "What do we do now?"

"I take it you have no idea where you brought us, then," Jason said.

"I'm not even sure if I did this," Konata said. "It still doesn't feel possible."

She realized she was already beginning to feel thirsty. It hadn't been more than two minutes in this desert and she might already be getting dehydrated. When had she last drank water...?

"Here, look at this," Koizumi said suddenly. He had gone off searching for something, anything, and now had found it on the ground a few meters away. Following him to where he stood, it looked like... yes, this might be what was left of a road, and that would probably mean that following it in either direction would lead to civilization. Were there actually people who lived out here?

"So we've got a road. What now? We just walk?" Junpei said, trying to sound sarcastic but knowing that might actually be the only thing to do.

"Seems like a plan," Konata said. "At least if we know where we are, wouldn't that be something, at least?"

"Obviously this isn't Lucky Star, so one of the other groups must have ended up there..." Jason said. "That leaves us with the possibility that this door was one of the two extras... or possibly this is the world where Haruhi went to."

"If it's that, then we could find a town and ask if anyone's seen her," Junpei suggested. "I mean... what other plan do we have?"

Konata heard the flapping of wings behind her, and turned around to see a large raven land on the ground, near a patch of brown, scraggly grass. It seemed to be watching them. Were birds like that usually in the desert? It seemed odd, somehow. But then again, who knew what the natural laws of this world might be?

Ignoring the bird for now, she surveyed either way the path led. Pointing in one direction, she said, "I've got a good feeling about this way. Let's check it out."

* * *

Kagami was the last one to enter the door in the middle of the road. After watching the door from a distance as cars drove straight through it as they passed through the intersection, her faith, if anything, decreased. Once her three companions had left her there, she hated to admit to herself that there was no choice. At the last moment, the very sensible-sounding idea occurred to her to just walk away, they could handle themselves, this universe she was stuck in now wasn't all that bad, really -

There was a blast of cold like walking into a freezer.

"I should've brought a jacket..." she muttered, then remembered that Rei and Joshua would have all those things packed. "Rei, don't you have my - ?" She stopped when she picked her head up.

This was some kind of a freak blizzard. They were still standing in the middle of a road, but it was a different one than she had been in mere seconds ago - of course, it was a different universe, so that would be logical. On one corner was a fast food restaurant, the opposite one a shop advertising "Fresh Roasted Coffee" - all in English. She doubted the claim that _anything_ would be freshly served here, it was a dump. The windows were all dark, the only cars here were blanketed by at least three feet of snow. The sky was gray and cloudy, but it seemed bright enough to be daytime. The clouds extended all the way to the ground, forming a thick fog that limited vision to about thirty feet away.

But most importantly, things looked _real_ again. The third dimension was back.

"This is... It's not our universe? It's a different one?" Mikuru said. She stared at Kagami intently.

"From what I hear, you're a time traveler, right? I'd think you'd be used to this kind of thing. Think of it like that, except we've moved through time _and _space," Joshua said. "To put it simply... magic, I guess."

"Um... okay..." Mikuru shivered in the cold. Snow was collecting on her auburn hair.

She saw Rei hand out the maroon-colored jacket she had bought earlier today. "Here ya go, Kagami!" she said brightly.

As Kagami slipped it on, she realized her hair was still purple... She groaned. Something about this world still wasn't entirely real. Rei's hair was still kind of a pale blue instead of white. Joshua had red hair, but even that was actually kind of normal compared to_ purple_.

"Well, this is just great. I can already tell this is nowhere near where I live, and what a surprise, I don't see Haruhi here, either. So we're pretty much just screwed," Kagami said.

"Hey, on the bright side, there's no one here. And that means nobody trying to kill us," Joshua pointed out.

"So where is everyone...?" Mikuru said. She tried to move towards the center of the group, closer to the others for both warmth and protection.

"Hello?" Rei called out, and was answered by her own voice, a faint echo. That was never a good sign.

"Nice work, Konata," Kagami muttered. "We're completely lost and there's nobody here to even tell us the name of the town."

The name of the street, though - she could see a signpost on the corner of the sidewalk. Bachman Road. Crossing it was Matheson Street. Judging by those names, they didn't even seem to be in Japan anymore.

_Bachman... _Something stirred in Kagami's mind at the name. She couldn't place it. Why would it sound familiar? Or not even familiar, but just somehow... Important.

"How about it, then? Let's go investigate, find out what's going on. We just have to find the houses where people live, all these businesses are probably just closed because of the storm - " Rei said.

"We don't even know what direction we're headed," Kagami interrupted. "Besides that, do we even know where we're supposed to go next? Face it, we got dropped here completely at random, there's no point to it. I knew this was a bad idea..."

As if to confirm the fact, a siren broke through the stillness. It sounded like one of those old-fashioned air raid alerts you heard in old war movies, announcing a bombing run. It rose to a loud wail and faded out, then came back in a second time. A third time.

"I don't understand! What's that mean?" Mikuru said, now in a full panic.

"If I had to guess, it means there's someone else living here. So that's a relief," Joshua said, seeming unconcerned. "God, these futuristic worlds have some annoying sounds, though..."

The siren continued to play, rising and lowering in volume, periodically about every five seconds or so. No planes in sight, and the weather didn't seem to be changing... But was it starting to get dark?

The stoplights above them flashed on unexpectedly, blinking all three colors at once. And the sky was beginning to get dark - in fact, those traffic lights were starting to be the only source of light.

"It's fine, I've got this," Kagami heard Rei say, but couldn't see her anymore. She sounded like she might be about twenty feet away. Why would she walk so far? A thin beam of blue light came on - a laser sword, as crazy as it sounded. Kagami remembered the flaming one that Konata had carried. Maybe it would have been a good idea to borrow a weapon from her, she mentioned having a lot of them -

The traffic lights shut off, and then even the glow of Rei's beam katana faded away. All was black.

The sirens stopped.

* * *

This really didn't seem like a good idea, not at all... When Tsukasa had seen Dante and Kyon sitting there at the train station, in similar slouching poses of disinterest but sitting nearly at complete opposite ends, she hadn't been sure exactly what to say. The door had been there in the center, waiting for them. Kamina had shown up a few minutes later - shirtless, wearing a huge red cape, and that spiky blue hair... How did he get around unnoticed? He probably didn't, did he? Konata had said she knew him, that they were friends from her Organization, they'd worked together. After some discussion, they had decided to go through.

Tsukasa hesitantly stepped through into the darkness, bringing up the rear behind Kyon. She bumped into his back once they were both on the other side. He was just standing there with his hands up... then she realized why.

"Human or demon?" The voice came from somewhere within the scattered platoon of soldiers pointing guns at them. Tsukasa had never seen that many Self-Defense Force members all at one time... and never expected to be in this kind of position. They were wide-eyed, shocked, and understandably so, since the four travelers had appeared out of nowhere. Tsukasa glanced behind her, but the door was gone.

"There you are, Tsukasa..." Kyon muttered. There was a crazed expression on his face. Everything was happening so fast and there was no time for any of it to make sense. "What the hell is going on here... And what happened to _you?_ You look different... This really doesn't make any sense... Koizumi said this was a good idea? Sometimes I really hate him..."

"I'm the leader of this brigade. The name's Kamina!" The confident voice came from somewhere to their right, where Kamina stared down the numerous gun barrels like nothing in the world could stop him. "We're all humans. Except..." He nodded towards Dante. "Him over there."

"Damn it. He called it a brigade." Kyon was shaking his head, his hands still raised. "Why does it have to be a brigade...?"

A woman stepped forward, vibrant orange hair, wearing a brown military jacket. She motioned for the soldiers to lower their guns, gave a strange look towards Kamina, the self-appointed leader, and then focused instead on Kyon and Tsukasa. "You two," she said. "My name is Izuna Misaki, I'm the leader of this division. Tell us exactly how you got here."

"Um..." Tsukasa said. "I... don't know... if I can say..."

"This is top-secret stuff, it's classified to you civilians," Kamina broke in. "Really sorry, but my mouth is shut."

"Who are you calling 'civilians?'" Izuna demanded. "I'm a commander with the Japanese SDF. This area is currently under strict military control. Tell us where you came from."

"You_ idiot._ Don't argue with the military..." Kyon muttered, glancing nervously at all the weapons still raised and ready.

"Point is, why would there be armed forces in the middle of a city?" Dante said. "Seems you're overreacting to our little group. None of us wanted to come here, especially not me. So do us all a favor and just leave us the hell alone." He mumbled, "Didn't sign on to be a goddamn babysitter anyway..."

Kyon's nerves had nearly snapped. "Look, I don't care what you do with the other two, but me and Tsukasa at least are unarmed. So if you wouldn't mind putting the guns down... I'm a loyal Japanese citizen, there's really no reason for this!"

"So you're human," Izuna said. She looked at Tsukasa. "You too?"

"Of course we are..." Tsukasa replied. "Why wouldn't we be... What's going on...?"

Izuna signaled the platoon behind her, and all the guns were lowered to the ground. "You really don't know what's been going on... Two days ago the city was attacked by demons. We've put up a quarantine on the Yamanote area until the situation is under control."

"We... We're in Tokyo?" Tsukasa said. "I live in Washimiya, if I could just go back - "

"I can't let you do that. We have strict orders that nobody crosses the border alive, in or out."

"You wouldn't really shoot us, would you? That's insane!" Kyon said.

"Actually, I agree..." Izuna had a remorseful expression, and sighed. "But they _are_ orders, and we're in a really rough state here. I'm truly sorry, but I can't allow you to return home. Not until the demons are taken care of."

"But Kona-chan said... Didn't she..." Tsukasa's mind was spinning. Konata had gotten rid of all the demons, all the destruction they had caused... She couldn't see that tower anymore, but these people said the demons were still around? They had been for two days?

"Those bastards, what are they still doing here?" Kamina yelled, making everyone jump. "I'll personally help you kick all their asses! And my brigade'll stand behind me on that!"

Blank stares from the three of them.

"No thanks," Dante said.

"The two of us can't even fight," Kyon added. "So..."

Izuna's radio buzzed and crackled with static. A voice was on the other end, too muffled for any of them to hear, but she listened intently. "Alright. We're right in range." She put it back. "There's just been an ambush nearby. You're not authorized to handle this, so let it go. You'll just have to wait inside the barricade until the problem's solved."

Tsukasa's heart sank. At least she was back home... At least, it seemed like she was. Kona-chan had said that it would look this way, so maybe she'd just adapt to how it all looked like an anime instead of her regular life... More than anything, she wanted to be all the way back at her house. Just being in the same universe wasn't enough, especially if the city was still overrun.

When would she see the others again? Her sister? Where were they?

Kamina eyed the soldiers as they ran to position, the ones by the barricade staying in place as guards. The chances of getting past all the sandbags, barbed wire, and security seemed slim. "Everyone just follow me," Kamina instructed them. "We're not about to just back down from a fight."

Kyon placed his face in his hands. "Please get me out of here..."

* * *

"Mahora Academy... It seems to be a girls-only junior high school..." Miyuki said.

The building was huge - red brick, white trim, sloping green roof. All of it was still like one of Konata-san's anime, like the world they had just left. Right now it was crowded with the students heading up the steps to the plaza in front of the building, where the entrance was located. Some of them made a passing glance at the four of them standing there, but quickly moved on.

"I'm afraid I seem... out of place," Alucard said, his expression hard to read behind the goggles. Now that she saw him up close, Miyuki recognized him as the man they had seen fighting demons in the city. To think he was actually a vampire - and that he knew Konata, as well...

"Gotta agree with that, people are gonna get the wrong idea with us hanging around here... " Spike suggested. Of the three others in the group, Spike was the only one who was supposed to be a regular human. Even so, he claimed to be an interstellar bounty hunter from Mars. As frightening as it was, Miyuki had to admit that travel between different universes opened up fascinating possibilities. "How about this: I go into town with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Ugly here, and you two girls check out the school?"

Nagato nodded in confirmation.

"I'm afraid I don't exactly understand what we're looking for..." Miyuki said. "We arrived just outside the school, so... does that mean whatever we need is inside?"

"Our first priority is to find Suzumiya-san," Nagato said. "Currently I cannot detect her in the nearby area. If possible, we should find a way to continue forward to another universe. It's likely to appear in the shape of a door, like the original ones did."

"Wait, let me get this straight... Konata sent all of us out to different places, but... there's no reason for us to be here?" Spike said, a bewildered look on his face. "Probably just wanted to tour some more animes or something... Christ."

"Izumi created four different gateways, although she had only two goals in mind: find Suzumiya-san, and return home. We seem to have gone into the wrong one," Nagato reported. Miyuki couldn't exactly tell what she was, Konata had said something about her being an... Integrated Data... she couldn't remember all of it.

"I suppose we could try to see what's around here. It seems safe, right?" Miyuki offered.

Konata-san had mentioned that there was a potential for danger when they stepped through the door. Alucard and Spike were both carrying concealed firearms with them. But here... If anything, it actually felt even safer and more pleasant than the last world had. These junior high students were smiling, laughing with each other, completely carefree. It would all be fine.

"We'll regroup here in the afternoon," Alucard said. "About two in the afternoon." He paused, then added, "There seems to be a rather familiar smell around this place. One of them must be..." Looking towards a group of girls, he seemed to fix on one of them in particular. She looked no older than ten years old, even younger than the others, and was scowling in a peculiar way. Alucard grinned, showing his pointed teeth. "No need to concern yourselves with that now. We'd better be going."

He turned, the red coat flowing out behind him, and Spike trudged up behind him, slouching. He stopped for a moment, looked back at Nagato and Miyuki, then grinned and continued on.


	25. Hometown

An overhead light flickered to life, an old fluorescent tube that gave a yellowish glow to the cramped room.

The snowflakes melting in Kagami's hair suggested that she had just been outside seconds ago. She had enough faith in her own memory to know she had been, and also that the others had been there too.

What others?

"Uh... Mikuru? Joshua...?" They didn't answer, obviously because they weren't here.

Because they didn't exist, and it was crazy to think that they ever had.

She took a step backwards, almost running into something that made a metallic rattle at the contact. A hospital gurney, a very old one. Two others were also there in front of her, one tipped sideways against the wall. The walls were covered in ceramic tile, with some reddish... rust stains, they had to be. Most of the tile was chipped off, not so much from neglect as from intentional destruction, it seemed.

The lights flashed off, and for a split second she froze, not wanting to make even the slightest movement. They quickly faded back in. It was only the electricity. In a place like this, it was a miracle there was any at all... But where _was_ this?

Kagami considered the possibility that this could be yet another alternate universe. She had somehow been dropped here, teleported or something, from that town with all the snow. The same thing had happened back home, when they had all ended up in the park. That time hadn't been so bad, really. Not like this.

She was paranoid, and there was no reason for it._ Stay logical..._

A way out. That was the most important thing right now. The windows had a metal grating over them, and she couldn't see out very well. It was the fog. Was she somewhere nearby where she had started from? Then... why was she alone?

Even Rei's annoying, cheerful attitude would be welcome right now.

On the opposite wall from the greyed-out windows was a steel door of about the same shade. Tentatively she moved towards it, feeling her foot kick aside a shard of porcelain on the floor, and, as ridiculous as it seemed, knocked on the door a few times. No response came, so she opened it, finding it was thankfully unlocked.

Light spilled out from this room, revealing a dingy grey hallway, a strip of wood paneling running horizontally about three feet off the floor. In terms of decorating, that paneling jutting out from the wall was all they had. The surface was peeling away at the bottom where it met ancient linoleum. And, all around the dim pool of light, just total darkness.

"Guys, come on... We were supposed to stick together, weren't we? Get over here..." Kagami called out, her voice fading out as she was not really anticipating a response at this point. "This is just bullshit..."

Whose fault was it that she was here, again?

The lights in the hall flickered on, in tandem with the lights in that room she had started out in, and she could very briefly see that it led for quite a distance in either direction. After that single moment, it all went dark.

She stepped forward, hands out in front, feeling for that wooden ridge that stuck out from the wall. All that mattered was getting out of here. Something was wrong with this. Following along the wall, she made her way down the hall to the left, probably going faster than she should have. The woodwork wasn't polished, she felt a few splinters sticking out. Getting a splinter seemed like the least of her worries, though...

But really, what _could_ happen to her now? She had died in the earthquake back in Tokyo. They'd been right in the epicenter.

She felt the ridge come to an end, leaving the wall smooth. Feeling around, she found a doorknob, but shaking it back and forth, she felt it turn loosely in its socket, not letting her in. She continued on. A few meters later, there was a turn to the right, and she decided to take it.

Complete silence, except for her own footsteps and a low electrical buzz. The lights flashed on for another second, giving her time to register several more doors in front of her. Mostly all it did was make her eyes burn. These probably didn't lead anywhere except a dead end like where she had started.

She was never getting out.

Maybe it was wrong to blame this on Konata. Going out in the storm had been reckless, she'd been _murdered,_ for God's sake, but it had been nearly a year ago, and in no way had to do with why Kagami was here now. If anything, it was actually Miyuki. She'd known about the seismic activity but had never said anything to them. Always so willing to share random tidbits of information, but never anything _useful._ But they were all stuck down here now, they'd all suffered the consequences.

Such a lonely place.

In total darkness it was easy to lose track of time. She could have been here for five minutes, maybe five hours. Maybe even longer. It had been dark so long she didn't even remember where she was. These long hallways, all the locked doors. Was it Ryoo? She was back in school?

"Anyone else here?" Kagami said, almost surprised at the sound of her own voice.

Somewhere behind her a door clanged open. On second thought, had it been from behind? It could have come from anywhere. Her mental image of the building was scrambled up. It was all a maze. Was she moving forward, or going back to where she had started? How far away had that sound been? She tried all the door handles she could find, stretching her arm out to feel the opposite wall to try the ones there. All of them either broken or locked. Searching for them all made her lose track of which way she had been heading in the first place.

The squealing noise that started from down the hall sounded human, then deteriorated into a coughing fit, like the person had fluid stuck in their throat and couldn't get it all out. She could only estimate it was maybe ten or fifteen meters away.

Kagami continued moving quickly, trying to determine how many pairs of footsteps she heard. They had an unsteady gait, like they were limping or something. The steps were slightly staggered with her own. There was at least one other person here.

Was it a good thing that she wasn't alone in here? She couldn't decide.

"Is... someone there?" she said.

No words responded, but whoever it was... if it was a person... was still behind her. It sounded like bare feet on the linoleum, slowly stumbling forward, just as blind as she was. But it didn't speak. Instead, it gave some sort of guttural howl.

Kagami needed to get out of here, she had to find Tsukasa and just go home, this wasn't where she was meant to be, there had to be a way out, if she just had some light, if someone was here with her, anyone at all, she didn't care, as long as someone human was in here with her that was all she needed, where had the others _gone?_

She had broken into a run, no longer caring that she couldn't see. She had no idea how far the hallway continued down, until her foot kicked something hard, and pain shot up her leg. She felt forward, feeling a wall in front of her. How fortunate that she hadn't smacked into it facefirst. A dead end. No, wait... a door handle... Probably locked. Kagami tried it. Surprisingly, this one worked.

And there was light behind it.

A stairwell, all brick and concrete, with industrial-looking metal handrails. She squinted, suddenly able to see again. Even this weak orange light was a shock for her. The back of the door she had entered from said she was on the second floor of... whatever this place was. So the ground floor would obviously be her way out.

Also on the wall was a red-bladed axe, hanging there with a sign that said "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY." Did right now count? Probably yes. She placed her hand on the smooth metal of the head, feeling the distressed, but still slightly glossy, painted surface. Then, placing both hands on the wooden handle, lifted it up and held it up in front of her. The weight of it made her feel safe. She'd take this with her.

One flight of stairs, leading to a landing, then another which led to the bottom. Beyond this doorway, it was still dark... but she wouldn't be blind like she had on the upper floor.

She could see a hallway similar to the one in the floor above, a room every couple of meters. If she got close she could read the plaques on each one. C4, C3, C2... C1. Across from that, Exam Room 2... No reason to go in there, just more empty rooms. The door next to that one was unlabeled. She tried it, but it was locked. The fire axe was still at her side, she raised it contemplatively... Then, gripping it with both hands, swung it at the door. It splintered at the first strike, but remained standing for five more blows. In desperation, she kicked it, and it fell forward.

Here was the entrance hall, she could see a front door and faint greyish-white light coming in from windows. And the front door.

She passed by some offices, but didn't have any interest in checking them out. It was a relief just to see again, but more than anything she wanted to be outside. The floor was checkered tile, a wooden bench was to her left, and a bulletin board was right next to the exit. It had a map of Brookhaven Hospital posted there... That would have been useful before, wouldn't it? She examined the second floor, and found it impossible to figure out exactly where she had been.

Kagami stepped outside, back into the thick grey fog covering the town like smoke.

* * *

Chapter 25

While Angels Sing In Endless Dark

* * *

The sun was bright out here. It certainly wasn't October in this new world like it had been in the other one, it was probably closer to late spring. Possibly June. All this change in season was disconcerting, to say the least. But Miyuki was glad to have ended up here, out of all the possible places. Konata had been right, there was nothing to be afraid of. This was a safe place, an institute of learning.

"Nagato-san, I'm not sure exactly how to say this..." Miyuki started. "But you were able to sense things, like when you met Konata-san, right? Do you... notice anything around here?"

"Certain students seem to be emitting irregular energy signatures," Nagato replied simply.

"So what exactly does that mean...?" Miyuki wondered aloud. She watched as the last of the students rushed inside the building, trying not to be late for class. Personally she was always very punctual, so she didn't know the feeling... although Konata-san probably would.

"Further observation will be necessary." Nagato started walking towards the front doors, which Miyuki took as a signal to follow.

"Perhaps we should find the principal..." Miyuki said. "I'm sure we're not supposed to be here without permission. We can just say we're visitors, I'm sure..."

Coming to accept the appearance of the world in two dimensions, Miyuki recognized this as just a regular school building. It was a private academy, by the looks of it. Much wealthier than Ryoo had been, that was for sure, but regardless...

But what had Nagato just said about "irregular energy signatures?" Alucard had noticed that one girl outside and said there was something about her... He had said they didn't need to concern themselves with her, but there was more than one person here like that? It was probably best not to be too worried about that. Miyuki was sure that if she just followed along, everything would turn out alright in the end and she'd be home before she knew it. The news about Konata had been a shock, but after some evaluation, she decided to have faith in her friend.

Voices were coming out of the classrooms, typical beginning-of-the-day lines about settling down, the topics to be covered in the day, introductions to lessons. Junior high school held some pleasant memories for Miyuki.

Nagato seemed to freeze, and Miyuki kept walking until she ran into her. "Oh, I'm sorry - " she said, backing up and pushing her glasses back into place.

"Something's arrived."

"Something...?" Miyuki couldn't tell if anything had changed. She heard the faint voice of a teacher calling out a name, then the student pulling out their chair to stand up and recite the answer. Other than that, it was fairly quiet and still.

What happened next was one of the most strange things Miyuki had seen yet. Nagato started speaking quickly, sounding less like a human and more like a recorded tape played in reverse at a high speed. As she finished the chant, everything went gray and silent. All the colors were drained out, except for the two of them.

"What is this?" Miyuki said. Her voice seemed to echo. Nobody was in the school anymore. Just minutes ago she had heard voices in the classrooms, where had all those people gone?

"Closed space has just formed in this area. The source appears to be Suzumiya Haruhi."

"So... That girl we're supposed to find... is here? In this universe?"

"Not necessarily."

"But according to that file... This is closed space, correct? It shouldn't form unless she's in this world, unless I misunderstood something..."

"This space was created through Suzumiya's will, but she herself cannot be detected. There is a possibility that she has somehow created this at random from a different universe. It would signify that her power is amplified in some manner."

It didn't make any sense, but Miyuki accepted it. Closed space was apparently some other plane or layer that existed inside a universe, and they were able to slip into it... Nagato seemed confident... if she seemed like she felt anything at all. They turned around and headed back to the front entrance, back into that plaza that felt even larger and emptier than anything else.

"Diameter seems to be at approximately ten kilometers..." Nagato reported. "Expansion will continue unimpeded until this world is consumed."

The sky was grey. Not cloudy, but just grey, like everything else. The silence really was eerie -

There was the sound of something crashing, massive destruction on a level Miyuki had only heard on one other occasion. When the tower had broken through the ground, back in her own universe, back when this entire situation had started. She turned to see what had caused it. There was a hazy blue figure standing over there in the city, swinging lanky arms at the buildings and watching them as they fell. Its body seemed like liquid, and the proportions of its humanoid features were all distorted.

"Is there something... we can do?" Miyuki said, watching it with rapt fascination and fear.

"I am unequipped to defeat Celestial Beings. Without an esper, there is nothing to be done."

That boy who had been the esper... Koizumi... he had gone with Konata. There was no way to reach him now. What logic did all of this function on? She wanted to think of a solution, but this wasn't an area she had any experience with. It was essentially a fantasy novel, and she knew enough about those to understand that the rules varied across the field.

If this was a different world than Nagato's, then maybe the rules could be bent. Things had to be available here that weren't in that other world... didn't they?

"What about... Is there any other way? Maybe one of the students, the ones with... powers, or..." Miyuki's mind was working, in ways she didn't completely understand. She took the ideas as they came to her.

"That is a possibility, although chances of success are low."

Nagato performed the chant again, and the closed space... No, it didn't disappear, they just left it. It was still there, but invisible, and the thing she had called a "Celestial Being" was still in that other layer. They had to remember it was there, because if this universe was "consumed" while they were still in it... What would happen?

Miyuki remembered reading somewhere a theory, claiming that sometimes thinking illogically would stimulate creativity and reveal working solutions... She hadn't been sure of that when she read it. Maybe that was all she could do for now.

* * *

Dante was scowling as he scanned the creatures before them.

"The hell are these things supposed to be?" he said.

Tsukasa actually agreed with him - these looked nothing like the demons that had been here before. First they had seen some sort of green, muscular thing that almost could have been human, carrying a cleaver in its hand. It gave a yell as it spotted them, and not long after more had appeared, some like the first, others with even more varied appearances. Blue devils carrying pitchforks. Red-haired fairies. A white cat wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat, lounging in midair.

She was equally terrified of all of them.

"We can take them on," Kamina said, drawing his katana in front of him.

"'We?'" Kyon said. "Maybe if you and Dante can learn to agree on something for once, then the two of _you_ can. What am _I_ supposed to do?"

They stood in the middle of the street, the four of them surrounded by something like twenty creatures of varying size and shape. It had been Kamina's idea to make a stand here, partially influenced by all the routes being blocked off once they arrived, but he was still enthusiastic about it. A crazed grin had come over his face in anticipation of the battle. He had called it a struggle between humans and beasts, fueled by pure fighting spirit, just like where he had come from. Tsukasa wondered where someone like him _had_ come from.

The green ogre approached from behind, swinging the knife at Dante, sticking the blade directly into his upper arm near the shoulder. Despite all the blood, it seemed like little more than a minor annoyance to him. He drew his sword and attempted to swing around, catching the demon on the back swing. It looked like he had made a solid strike that should have split it into two, but the creature didn't even flinch.

"The hell? It's not doing anything!" Dante yelled, dodging the counterattack.

"Perfect," Kyon said, inching back away from Dante at the same time that he was noticing even more demons coming from behind. There was nowhere to go. "As long as I'm still alive to say this, I just want to say I always knew this was a terrible idea."

Tsukasa's mind was working fast, pure self-preservation instinct. Which, regrettably, she had never used before, and so they were naturally blunt from disuse.

"We... need to get out of here..." It came out so quietly that she wasn't sure anyone had heard her.

"We're falling back? How could you suggest that? Who the hell do you think I am?" Kamina demanded angrily. He only looked back at her for a moment before returning to his futile attempts. The katana passed through the demons like they were made of air.

"Screw this, she's right. I'm not wasting my time," Dante said.

He didn't lower his guard as he backed up, keeping an eye on all the demons that were closing in. Kyon was the next to follow. Tsukasa gave a glance towards Kamina, then looked back at the rest of the group, and chose to have faith in the larger half. She moved in as close as she could to them.

"At least you seem to have some common sense," Kyon said. "Thanks for that, at least."

Dante gave a sharp, bitter laugh. "Whatever. As soon as we find a way out of this, I'm going back home. And if we leave _him_ back there to be killed, that'll leave you two on your own. So good luck."

There was an alley to the side where they might be able to slip through, but dark shadows could be seen in it. Shapes that probably weren't human. Tsukasa didn't want to look at them, to even think about them... She lowered her head to the ground, and saw something strange.

Some sort of... two-screened device, like a Nintendo DS, like what Konata used to play all the time. No, it was different. The labels on the buttons didn't look familiar. And the screen was showing all kinds of weird text and colors, like someone had bashed it in and most of the pixels had gone dead.

"That's weird..." she said, forgetting about everything else for a while and picking it up to look at it, to see what the text had to say.

The screen seemed to turn off, then simply read -

_Let's Survive._

The message quickly faded. How strange, was it supposed to do that? She'd almost forgotten about the demons for the moment, and was content to focus in on just this worn-out device off the ground that still seemed functional. That was when yet another appeared directly in front of her.

"Tsukasa! The hell'd you do?" Dante said, raising his sword defensively.

"Um... I... don't know..." she stuttered, staring at the thing in front of her.

Actually, this one was... kind of cute. It was very short, a little white bulgy body like a marshmallow and a blue cap covering its head with its huge grin. "Hee-humans, ho?" it said, visibly surprised.

"Is that thing... talking to us?" Kyon said. "This is ridiculous..."

"You-ho are the ridiculous one, hee-ho!" it said, its voice high-pitched and honestly very difficult to take seriously.

Without fail, Kamina had noticed what was going on from his position and charged forward, making a wide slash towards the demon which they all knew wouldn't -

It vanished, for a moment turning a monochromatic red and then fading away.

"Wait, what was different about that one?" Kyon said. He placed his face in his hands in frustration. "Someone please tell me when any of this makes sense..."

"Let's try the others," Dante said, starting to smile. He already had both handguns drawn, Ebony and Ivory, and started shooting in all directions. It would have seemed like his aiming was random... if he didn't hit most of them. The same thing happened to the other demons after they were hit a few times, they all faded out and disappeared. The street seemed empty.

"Looks like you found something, eh, Tsukasa?" Kamina said, before leaping into the fray himself.

She stared down at the device in her hands. She had honestly thought this was someone's game system... But it was somehow connected to the demons? They could be defeated now... No, this didn't play video games, they must be _in_ one right now. It was like Konata had said, she had told them she'd been doing this for years...

Within about five minutes, they stood alone in the plaza. No bodies were left behind, they all just vanished when they were defeated. Tsukasa still held the device with two trembling hands.

A flash of red light in front of her, and the snowman appeared again.

"Plee-hee-sed to meet you, ho!" it said.

"You little _shit_," Dante said. "Give up already." He shot it in the head, but it still just grinned up at him.

"I'm on your side now, hee-ho! My name's Jack Frost!"

Tsukasa peeked out at it. "He's actually... kind of cute," she admitted. "Seems kinda hot for the little guy to be outside, though. Is he... really a demon?"

"A damn sorry excuse for one," Dante said. "Couldn't be more thrilled to have him join us."

The screens had turned back on, with some dead pixels adding dots of lime green to the dark-red color scheme of the menu. The heading said "Demon Summoning Program." Tsukasa realized with a shock that this device... It must somehow store _them_ inside it. She didn't want to summon any more. That last horde had been enough for a lifetime. What to do with it?

She felt a strong hand on her shoulder, which made her jump. "This is the first step in our counterattack, then," Kamina said. "Nice work. Any idea how to work it?"

"Um... I don't know..." She tried using it like a DS, using the arrow keys and buttons (although, without the usual letters on them, she couldn't be sure what the functions of each one were). Navigating the system seemed simple enough, but Tsukasa found it difficult to even search a cell phone address book. Various prompts came up, mentioning things like "Cathedral of Shadows" and "Welcome to the Demon Auction!"

"You gonna be okay there?" Kyon said. He leaned in, watching her attempts to navigate.

Tsukasa bit her lip. "I think I..." She noticed an icon for "Team," and tried it out... One member was shown. Jack Frost, with a picture of the little guy beside it. She looked up and saw him wandering away, waving his arms out to the sides like a bird and bouncing as he walked. She hit a few more buttons, some more menus popped up that she quickly tried to exit, then finally managed to find a "Return" command. She watched as he wandered over towards a streetlight, then vanished in mid-step.

"Good. That got rid of him," Kyon said.

"Don't lose track of that thing, Tsukasa. We've gotta figure out how to use it." Kamina gave her a confident smile, which she nervously tried to return, but after all that had happened... She simply couldn't.

"Let's just take a break for now," Kyon said. "I'm getting a headache."

* * *

The chipped, borderline illegible white paint on the weatherbeaten sign simply read "Tull."

"As in 'Jethro?'" Jason said. Realizing the others didn't get the reference, he added, "Never mind."

For all appearances, they had stepped onto the set of a classic Western movie. One road cut straight down the middle, and partway down an intersection crossed through paralell to the main street. All the buildings looked old. Not only old-fashioned, but also run-down and neglected. And in total, there were probably only seven or eight structures in total, if you counted the boarded-up grocery and overgrown train station.

Not that there weren't people living here. A few were out on the street, eying the four newcomers suspiciously. The style of dress seemed to match the town - rustic, nineteenth-century clothing, making the four of them stand out even more. Konata remembered her past missions, how they had always known where they were going and, most importantly, how to fit in.

"So where the hell are we?" Junpei asked, voicing the question all of them wanted to ask. "Emir - I mean, Konata... Do you recognize anything about this place? You're the one who sent us here, right?"

"Never heard of it in my life..." Konata said. The place was isolated. After walking through the desert for hours, then finally coming up to some cornfields and plant life, this was the only place they had seen. And the population couldn't possibly be even a hundred people. "It seems... a little depressing, actually."

People seemed to look at her in particular with disapproval in their eyes, and quickly turn away and go about their business. None of them were welcome here, but something about Konata really set them off.

"If I had to take a guess, it looks like we'd be in Arizona or something, at least a hundred years ago," Jason said. "But..."

He pointed to one of the front porches, up to the slanted overhang shading the door from the sun. Electric lights were set into the wooden ceiling, shut off until nightfall.

"Interesting..." Koizumi remarked. "It seems anachronistic."

"More likely, this universe has just developed in a completely different way than ours did. All four of us come from different worlds, but for the most part they're similar. This world... I'm not even sure if the United States, or Japan, for that matter, exist. It could have a completely different geography," Jason said.

"Hmm... I was hoping we'd be somewhere more like Fullmetal or something. With the desert and everything..." Konata said. "But I guess I'd be able to tell if it was. I just wish I knew what this place _was..._"

The distinct sound of a ragtime piano started up. The source seemed to be a structure with the word "Sheb's" posted above the entrance. Something about the tune was familiar. The singer's voice was unintelligible, buried under the chatter of the patrons.

"I think I've heard that somewhere..." Junpei said. He waited a bit longer. "Yeah, I'm almost sure I have. The place seems packed. Should we check it out?"

"Why not?" Jason said, shrugging. "It's as good a place to start as any."

Entering Sheb's revealed it to be a dirty bar-and-grill style place, mostly full of semi-conscious drunkards. Konata had a memory flash of one of the early training missions, the one where she had first encountered Kamina and Joshua in a place like this. That one had been more medieval than Western.

Back then, she had been just starting out with fighting, and regardless of an abnormal level of skill or not, those two had been great at helping her out. Kagami and Tsukasa were going to be just fine with them... right?

"Oh man... Real hamburgers. I've gotta be dreaming," Junpei said. Sure enough, that seemed to be the fare here on many of the tables. No condiments or buns, but when you were this hungry, it didn't matter.

They took an empty table towards the back, near the piano player. Up close, you could hear that he wasn't a professional by any standards, except maybe those of this small burg. And possibly just as drunk as his fans.

"And any time you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain, don't carry the world upon your shoulders..." he sang. A few more voices joined in, recognizing the old favorite. "For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder..."

"That's... really bizarre," Jason said.

"What is?" Koizumi said.

"That song... Junpei was right, it is familiar. The Beatles sang it. They would have recorded in about... the sixties, seventies, sometime around then."

"But this world shouldn't have popular music. We haven't seen any radios or things like that."

"Who knows? It's definitely Hey Jude, though," Jason said.

A waitress was making the rounds, handing out food and serving beer to the other tables. She made a sideways glance towards their table, like she was trying to avoid them, but Konata flagged her down. She couldn't ignore the obvious signal, so she sighed and headed over.

"You ain't from around here..." An odd way to greet customers, to be sure. "An' I don't expect you came from Princetown, either."

"Just passing through," Konata said quickly, before anyone else could speak. The unwelcome feeling was really getting to her, she didn't want to stay here long.

"Actually, we're... looking for someone, I figure we might as well ask you." Koizumi reached in his pocket, looking for the photo Konata had suggested he bring. A recent picture of Haruhi, in case she had come here. He dug around for a while, not finding it.

"You. Why're you dressed like a boy?" the waitress asked Konata.

"Dressed like..." Now she noticed it, all the women here wore long dresses. None of them wore pants, not even short skirts, even with how hot it was. Everyone had been staring at her simply because she was wearing jeans. She couldn't think of a response. "Well, uh... Like I said, we're just passing through."

"Here it is," Koizumi said finally. He laid the picture down on the table. It was a shot of Haruhi and Mikuru, during the filming of the movie. Koizumi laid a finger on it to point out Haruhi, and said, "This girl. Suzumiya Haruhi. Does she... look familiar, or anything?"

"A fottergraf... Don't see many of those. Never seen one like that, with the color. You really ain't from around here." The waitress was staring at it, her face unreadable. "You say her name is... Suzumiya Haruhi... Yeah, heard of her."

"Seriously?" Konata said, suddenly perking up. "Where? From who? If someone knows what happened to her, we need to - "

The waitress was shifting uncomfortably. "You'd actually go off in search of the man in black. You'd have to be crazy to do such a thing."

"Who exactly is that?" Jason asked. "This 'man in black.'"

"I... can't say. Comes through here every now and again. Strange things happen when he do."

"Look, lady, these two here, they're professionals. And I know all of us have seen enough strange things, so I don't think one guy's gonna be a problem," Junpei said. "Just tell us where to go."

"And what exactly did he say about Suzumiya-san?" Koizumi added.

"He was looking for her. He was headin' to wherever it is she come from, off into the south, and nobody ever saw him since then, say thankee. But that girl you're looking for ain't never been _here." _Her eyes were wide with fear, like she expected the man in black to appear at any moment and... do what, exactly? Why was he so frightening? "Now, you gonna order something or what? I don't have any more to say."

"That's quite enough. Thank you," Jason said.

They ordered four hamburgers, but nothing to drink - regardless of whether a legal drinking age existed here, it did back home, and Sheb's had nothing to offer but beer. They discussed the only lead they had, that a man in black, whose very mention seemed to strike fear into the people here, had mentioned Haruhi, and then fled into the desert for parts unknown. Admittedly, it was very little information to kick off a pursuit with. The waitress came back with the meat - no buns, as was the style here - and left without another word. They took the food to go.

The chorus still repeated as they walked out the door, fading into the background as the distance increased. The town was so quiet that you could hear it practically anywhere within its limits.

"Na, na nah, na nana naaaaaa... Na nana naaaaaaaa... Hey, Jude..."


	26. Sympathy for the Devil

Among other things that looked strange in this world, Tsukasa thought that the numbers now floating above everyone's heads would have looked even stranger had this been real life.

Shortly after that first battle had been finished, these floating circles with the number "1" in the center had appeared above the three others, right above their heads. It kind of matched how things had looked on the device, with the dark-red color scheme. Since then, they'd continued into the main part of the city, and seen plenty of crowds. Everyone had a number. Mostly they had "5," but a few people had smaller numbers. Five was the highest, from there it only went downwards. She saw a few people with "0."

Tsukasa didn't mention it to anyone else. Kyon didn't say anything and he usually had some sort of a remark on anything that was weird... She didn't want to sound strange by pointing it out, so she just remained silent.

And Dante had said that these demons were different from the ones he was used to - the ones that she had seen before, the ones that Konata had saved her life from - and that he didn't think this was her own universe... They were in some different Tokyo. It was less chaotic, to be sure. There wasn't the constant barrage of attacks, although it seemed like people were always on edge, and numerous mentions of demons could be heard in the conversations as they passed by. A group of four teenagers was gathered in front of an electronics store, all of them holding devices like the one Tsukasa had found.

"So where do we go?" Kyon said finally, after a long period of silence. "I mean, we can't leave the city or they'll shoot us. We have no idea how to get back to any of our home universes. This whole situation was hopeless from the beginning."

"What we need is a plan," Kamina said, scratching his chin and smiling thoughtfully.

"Funny thing to hear you say that. Your last plan was 'rush in and kill all the demon bastards,' and look how _that_ turned out. We nearly died," Dante said. "So what's your new plan? Find another bunch and charge in? And you don't have to answer that, by the way."

"Can we just... sit down for a minute?" Tsukasa said, working up the courage to say something, anything at all.

"I second that. Let's just stop in one of these restaurants here..." Kyon's voice trailed off, as he realized all the buildings had been looted. "Figures... That one over there doesn't look too bad. Let's stop and come up with a plan."

Makino's might have been an expensive, upper-class restaurant in a past life, probably no more than two or three days ago. The same couldn't be said for it now, with the smashed tables and missing front doors. Some broken glass laid underneath an open space where a window had been. They took a table towards the back, and Tsukasa nearly collapsed once she sat down.

"Come to think of it, you remembered to bring food, didn't you?" Kyon said, looking across the table at Kamina. "With that weird magic thing that you people have." Tsukasa remembered what he was talking about, how Konata had been storing her weapons and stuff by pulling them out of thin air.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Food... It seems I overlooked something," he said finally.

Dante scoffed. "You're the only one who was with these Eclipse people and knows how to do that stuff. You seriously forgot it?"

"This isn't happening..." Kyon said. "Look, you two... Just stay here, alright? I'll go check the kitchen. Nobody's there, so they shouldn't mind..." It looked like it had been sacked already, but it was worth a shot. His stomach growled.

Tsukasa picked her head up. "I'll go, too..." As if her energy had already been renewed, she stood up quickly and followed him.

"Good..." he muttered. "I really need a break from those two. Hopefully they won't kill each other." Meaning that in the most literal sense.

While still not orderly by any standards, the stainless steel of the kitchen was less dirty than the dining area. There were a variety of utensils hanging from the ceiling above the sinks and preparation areas. A few of the cupboard doors had been left hanging open, revealing only empty shelves. Tsukasa opened one of the others and found some curry powder, vegetable oil, a few other perishables left untaken. In spite of the mess, it reminded her of...

"You know... I wanted to work at a restaurant like this someday..." she said quietly. "I was even supposed to go to the culinary school in Kobe, before... all the stuff back home happened."

"Really? You're a cook?" Kyon didn't take his eyes off the shelves he was searching, and headed over to check the walk-in freezer.

"I'm not anything too special... Maybe I could make something, though..."

"By all means, take as much time as you need. _They_ can wait." He added, "So what about that thing you found? Let me take a look at it."

"Oh... sure." Tsukasa wasn't at all hesitant to take it out of her pocket and hand it over to him. After looking at the outer surface for a moment, he opened it up and began searching through the various screens and files. She went back to hunting for ingredients - with what was left, maybe she could make curry... That was something she'd made often enough to memorize the steps.

She'd have to take whatever vegetables were still available. In the huge refrigerator, there was still an onion left, some garlic... Tsukasa had pushed the past few hours out of her mind completely, and didn't even spare a thought about the demons.

"You've got email on here, it looks like," Kyon said, and she was unfortunately reminded of that device she had let him take a look at. "And... Hm. This is pretty much a complete user's manual."

"Oh... That's good..." she said idly. She turned on the stove, an industrial model that she wasn't used to. This was like what she'd use if she became a real chef, wasn't it? Maybe she still could. Konata would figure out how to get them all home safely.

"I hate to even suggest this, but..." Kyon looked up at her. "There's a Demon Auction on here, and... maybe we should use it."

"Huh?" Tsukasa stopped for a moment, letting the beef sizzle in the pan for a while. "Like... we'd buy more demons? No, I don't think - "

"You've only got one in here, and I don't think that will be enough. If they're really going to listen to your orders... Look, I have no idea who to trust," Kyon said in exasperation. "It might be in both our best interests if you figure out how to control them."

Dante didn't have any loyalty to the team, and Kamina... He was a friend of Konata, but his ideas usually seemed impossible. The last ones Tsukasa wanted to put her faith in were the demons, but... Would they really obey her if they came out of that...?

"And you've also got this Cathedral of Shadows app, or whatever it is..." Kyon was eying the screen with a slightly perplexed expression. "You fuse two demons into a more powerful form."

_"What?"_

"I don't know. Honestly I'm a little hesitant to try something like that... We'll look at it if the time comes."

He didn't say anything for a while, so Tsukasa returned to preparing the curry. She'd mixed up the sauce and was stirring it into the rest of the ingredients on the stove. How much time had gone by? No word from the others outside, so maybe that was a good thing. Or, like Kyon had said... Maybe they really had killed each other... No, she shouldn't think of something like that. She was only scaring herself.

Finally Kyon spoke again. "I think I understand this... Maybe not..."

"What is it now?" Tsukasa said. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"This device - it says it's called a COMP, which is short for something, I forget - anyway, there's this thing called a Harmonizer. For a certain area around it, regular people are on the same wavelength as the demons, and so the attacks work. That's what happened when you activated this the first time."

"Then that means... We need to use that whenever we have to fight?"

"Seems so." He went back to reading more of the emails. A few minutes later, he made a face. "This... That's just morbid, is this for real?"

"Huh?"

"I suppose you're the user registered with this COMP, so... You haven't seen..." Kyon tried to think of how to say it. "Apparently, whoever is using one of these will be able to see how many days a person has left to live. There's supposed to be a number displayed over their heads, I guess just in midair or something... You haven't seen something like that, have you?"

Tsukasa said nothing. In the shock, she might have added a bit too much salt to the curry, but that didn't matter. Her attention was focused on the number "1" suspended in the air a few inches above Kyon... The same number that had been over Kamina and Dante as well. She hadn't seen one for herself, but...

"You okay...?"

"It's... it's nothing..." Tsukasa replied quickly. No, she didn't want to admit it. It had to be a mistake, right...?

* * *

Chapter 26

The Nature of My Game

* * *

"Oh... oh God..." Junpei was groaning and clutched his stomach. "You guys... You didn't eat your hamburgers yet, did you?"

"Uh, no..." Konata said. She stopped and turned around. "You okay?"

"I think I'm gonna die..."

"Hey, we should probably stop for the night," Konata called ahead to the others. The sun was setting, turning the sky from orange to purple, which would finally become black. No lights out here in the desert, so they wouldn't be able to see anything once it did. And the blistering heat was quickly dropping to what felt like freezing.

"Wait... I think I see a building up ahead." Jason squinted, trying to see, then turned around and said, "Yeah. Can you make it a bit further?"

"Seriously? More people...?" Junpei said, then grimaced. "That's good, but... I might have to... crawl the rest of the way there..."

It turned out that wasn't necessary. He complained all the way there, but managed to carry himself the entire distance to the waystation just before the sun vanished behind the mountains completely. Konata made a mental note not to eat the hamburgers. They'd brought other food, but had decided to save it for... times like this, come to think of it. Hopefully they had enough to last until they reached the next source of food. Edible food.

There was not one building, but two. An old house and a stable, both constructed out of rapidly decomposing wood. If the wind ever started blowing they'd probably collapse on top of one another. They were surrounded by a shoddy wooden-post fence. Junpei attempted to lean against one of the posts for support, but fell backward as it snapped off under the slightest pressure.

"It's something, at least," Koizumi commented. "I suppose it's better than resting out in the open."

"I'll check the buildings. We might not want to sleep in there," Jason said. "Konata, you brought food, right? Sounds like the hamburgers weren't any good - " Junpei let out another groan, this time sounding like a bad actor - "so try something else."

"Right." She shivered, and decided the first thing to do would be to build a fire. Some spot away from these highly-flammable buildings, probably. Konata chose the location about thirty meters away, near an old water pump.

She picked up the fencepost that Junpei had broken, and also dragged the two-meter-long crossbeams over with it. Taking out a European-style steel sword, she cut the crossbeams in half, piled up the wood, and stood a few feet back. Gathering up the energy, she shot a burst of flame into the stack, and the flames danced up, giving a much-needed orange glow to the thick blackness of the night.

"Whoa. You pulled that off pretty fast," Junpei said.

"Yeah, we had to set up campfires like this just about every night back when I was in the war..." Konata said. "It's much easier when I'm allowed to use magic like that. It takes so much longer without it."

"You were in a war?" Junpei said. He sat down on the ground, near the fire, and she joined him.

"That was my assignment before I went to Gekkokan with you, actually..." she said. "I'm not sure if you've ever played Fire Emblem, but that's what it was."

"I've heard of it, never played it," he replied. "So it was like medieval stuff?"

"Pretty much." The helmet she had worn back then appeared in her hands, and she turned it upside down, examining the shape of it. Walking over to the pump, which actually worked once you applied some force, she filled it up like a bowl and brought it back.

"Hmm..." He thought for a moment. "It's weird, I actually haven't thought much about school. They're probably worried about us. Well, I guess they'd expect the two of us to be cutting, but Jason would have them worried. He was always a pretty good student."

Konata chuckled. "You're right about that. He has to work hard since he hasn't gone to school since... what would it be now, almost seven years? Not counting when he went to Ryoo with me."

Now she had slipped the visor down and looped it over the sword, letting her hold it out over the fire to boil it. An old trick one of the knights had shown her, a way to use old armor while out in a camp.

"That long? Because of this... Eclipse thing?" Junpei said. He was watching her idly. "By the way, is that... sanitary?"

"It can't be as bad as whatever you just ate," she replied. "I haven't even used this helmet in a long time."

Junpei just gave a shrug. "So you were going to recruit me for Eclipse. They told you to do that?"

"Yeah, specific orders, actually. But I was going to recommend you keep living your normal life, instead of going out full-time. I guess I've always regretted leaving my world behind..." Konata sighed. Sitting around a fire like this did bring back memories of that first full-time assignment, which of course was laced with memories of her death. She wondered if her friends really did comprehend what she'd done.

"Hey, we found something." Jason's voice snapped her out of it. He was carrying something with him, a small hardcover book, and handed it down to her.

"Junpei, take this for a second," she said, and handed the handle of the sword over to him. Junpei reacted with surprise, nearly dropping it at first but then holding it steady.

She reached up and took the book from Jason. Haruhi's image was on the cover, and she recognized it as the first volume of the light novel series. The binding was creased from use. Konata opened it up, and something small fluttered to the ground and laid in the dust. She picked it up to see it in the fire light. A tarot card, one she recognized because it was her Persona's arcana. The Star.

"You found this in the house?"

"There wasn't much of anything in there except a few pieces of furniture... and this." Koizumi appeared out of the dark, following behind Jason. "So this is the novel you mentioned. The one about us. I'd like to take a look at it, if you don't mind."

"Not a problem," Konata said, and handed it to him.

"It seems to confirm what we were told about the man in black. There's definitely somebody in this world who has an interest in Haruhi," Jason said. "And by the looks of it, they might not be too far away."

"Should we be getting a head start?" Konata asked. She was eager to confront whoever it was, get all of this to come to an end...

"With as dark as it gets here, I wouldn't think he'd be on the move. It can't hurt to rest for a while."

The sound of the crackling logs was joined by the bubbling water. Konata slipped on a leather gauntlet on one arm as a sort of oven mitt, taking the makeshift pot off the fire carefully. She then took out four of the instant ramen cups she had packed, materializing each one out of thin air. It was a process that fascinated Junpei, but she found it routine.

"You want one?" she asked him. "I've got plenty."

"Nah... Still not feeling too good."

"Suit yourself." She opened the lids of three of them and carefully poured the water in. "There. Just like home, isn't it?"

"Uh... yeah."

The three cups she filled with water were sitting on a patch of ground that Konata had judged level enough, steam rising out from under the lids. The aroma of the powdered seasoning drifted into the air, mixing with the smoke from the fire for an oddly nostalgic effect.

Konata looked up after a few moments, already bored of waiting for the noodles to cool. "Hey, since you're not going to be able to use your Persona outside of the Dark Hour... Want to practice some swordplay with me?"

"Here? Now?" Junpei said. He glanced around. Koizumi was absorbed in reading the novel, understandably intrigued by what it revealed. Jason was simply sitting across the fire from them and watching them silently. "It's kind of dark, isn't it?"

"Sure, but..." Konata picked up the sword she had been using over the fire, and another similar weapon appeared in her other hand. She handed the first one over to him. "Let's go for a little bit. You've really got some catching up to do."

He smiled sheepishly. "I've seen you fight. I'm not that far behind - "

"Back when we fought the Shadows? You wouldn't believe how much I was holding back then. Come on, I'll teach you how to fight for real." That determined grin was on her face. For a while, she was Emiri again, carefree, only absorbed in her own passions.

"These are kind of sharp... what if we hit each other?" Junpei said, turning it over in his hand.

"Don't worry. I won't."

"What if I hit _you,_ though?"

"Aren't you confident," Konata laughed. "Ready?"

He was barely prepared to block the first strike. They practiced for several minutes, Junpei barely able to keep up with her, and constantly reminded that those abilities probably weren't human.

* * *

Suzumiya Haruhi had created espers as part of her vision for what she wanted the world to be. Although she had no idea they existed, there were a number of them in her local area, including Koizumi Itsuki. When Haruhi created closed space, and one of those giant creatures with it, the only way to defeat it and prevent the destruction of the world was for espers to team up against it and attack it with pure energy.

Or at least that was what Miyuki could glean from Nagato's explanation. And it made her somewhat self-conscious about when she herself would give complicated explanations, was _she_ that hard to follow?

Outside of the closed space, everything appeared normal, and the classes had just been released for the lunch break. Still, that gray world was still expanding unseen, and it seemed there was nothing they could do about it. It was a little unclear just what exactly would happen once the universe was consumed, but it didn't sound good.

"Excuse me... I don't think I recognize you."

Miyuki was suddenly brought back to reality. The speaker had been a young... boy, it turned out. The only boy in the school which she could have been sure was all-female. He spoke with a hint of a foreign accent, but it was nearly undetectable, and his language was flawless.

"Um, no..." Miyuki said. "We're just visiting, I'm actually a high school student... Or, um, I suppose I've graduated now. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Takara Miyuki."

She couldn't tell how old he was. Anime was actually proving to be somewhat confusing to her. He looked like he could be the same age as the students here, who were now arriving to fill the courtyard, carrying their boxed lunches. As a matter of fact, Nagato didn't seem out of place, but she was only a few years older than junior high... And when Miyuki had seen her own reflection back in that last world, she had looked rather young as well. So confusing.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you as well. I'm Negi Springfield. I'm a teacher here."

"You're - ?" Miyuki started. She tried to work through it in her mind. If he was a teacher, then he must be a lot older than he looked. It would be rather rude to ask, though. "I didn't realize... Oh, and we completely forgot to check in at the principal's office. I'm terribly sorry, we should have done that earlier - "

Negi's expression changed. "You don't know about me... It's fine, I actually thought you were... No, I'm _certain_ of it."

"Certain of what?" Miyuki asked.

Nagato was impossible to read, but stood there observing the two of them. If she could tell anything about Negi, she didn't show it. There was something strange about having a teacher here who looked so young. It was difficult to determine how he would look in real life, Konata had said that only visitors from Eclipse had this happen to their vision...

"I was teaching in my classroom earlier today, and I happened to look out a window and I saw the two of you in the front plaza... Appearing out of thin air," Negi explained, adding the last part hesitantly. "You're mages, aren't you? Which association?"

"Um..." They had appeared out of thin air? Back when they had come through the door - No, that had been somewhere else, before the day started. This had been when they exited the closed space. The plaza had been empty, she hadn't even considered someone might see through a window just by chance. "No, I think you have us mistaken... What do you mean by association?"

"Huh?" Negi said, surprised. "I was sure I saw you... So you're regular humans. Never mind, then, if I use a memory charm, maybe - "

"You're capable of using magic." Both Miyuki and Negi turned their attention to Nagato, who had broken her silence.

"N-no, never mind that. Regular humans aren't supposed to know about - "

"If you are a mage..." Suddenly Miyuki realized what this meant. Would it work? She felt guilty dragging him in like this, he was only a kid. She thought he was, at least.

"Are you capable of using energy-based attacks?" Nagato asked flatly.

Negi glanced from Nagato, back to Miyuki, unsure of how to proceed. "I... suppose so... What's this about? Why do you need to know this?" He was quiet for just a few seconds, then finally said, "You _are_ mages, aren't you? Are you trying to challenge me? We're at the school, can't we at least let this - "

"No, we're not mages, but... There's this..." Miyuki didn't know how to explain it to him. "Nagato, would you mind telling him about what you found?"

"Mages do not exist in the world I come from. I have no data to make an accurate prediction with."

"Er... I really don't know what's going on... What's this all about? I'm supposed to go back to teaching soon," Negi said.

"A second dimensional layer has been added to this universe. If allowed to expand, it will overtake this entire world," Nagato said. "You may be capable of slowing or stopping the process."

Everything stopped for a moment, and nobody spoke. The sound of the school bell could be heard, and Negi turned for a second, considering going back to his classroom. He closed his eyes for a moment in thought, then looked back at them.

"What do I need to do?"

* * *

She had been planning to go to law school.

Decker Guns & Ammo. Kagami had been wandering the streets of this town for hours now in the freezing cold, looking for anyone else, but not seeing even the slightest hint of life. Now she had found this store, with the door locked, and what she was planning was crazy.

Sheets of plywood had been put up in the front windows, and at some point somebody had spray-painted the words "BANGO SKANK" across it in blue. She swung the axe at it, the words splintering apart. It felt like the blade was about to break off, but it got through.

Breaking and entering. There was one illegal act. She began to count them.

Once she was in, Kagami could only see dark shapes on the walls that, on closer inspection, turned out to be hunting rifles, shotguns, all different sorts. Pretty heavy stuff. The air was thick and dusty.

Back a few blocks ago, she had been sure something had crawled away from her and hidden itself underneath a van parked by the side of the road.

Possession of a gun was against the law in Japan, and if this was America, like she thought it might be, didn't you still need a license or something? That made it two laws broken. International criminal status, as well.

Stealing one of these would make it three, but if Mr. Decker wasn't here to tend the shop, it's not like she could have paid him even if she wanted to. Kagami went around the counter, looking in all the drawers beneath the cash register. She found a flashlight in one, and had to smack it a few times after flicking the switch, but it shone brightly enough to let her look around.

With the light, she could find a map in one of the drawers, and also a faded red duffel bag that read "NOTHING BUT STRIKES AT MID-TOWN LANES" in big letters on one side. Apparently it had been from a bowling alley somewhere.

Her phone rang in her pocket. She'd forgotten she was even carrying it. Kagami searched frantically for it, then pulled it out and answered it quickly. "Hello?"

"You know, you should probably clean up in here once in a while..." It was literally the last voice she had expected to hear. It wasn't every day you heard your own voice answer the phone.

"See those?" Now she could hear Konata, not muffled in the background but rather clear, as if she were speaking right into the phone as well.

"Yeah. That's kind of what I was talking about," the Kagami on the other end of the phone said. Wait, she remembered this...

"No, that's not what I meant. Those are all unfinished games. RPGs, visual novels, all with tons of hours of gameplay. And before all of those are finished, you can bet that there'll be even more games released that I just can't let slip by. So, you see, Kagami, I simply don't have any time to clean up my room."

"Really? What about all the time you _don't_ spend on homework?"

This had been so long ago. In fact... it was the day before Konata had died. Or whatever had really happened to her. Those had been good times, even if she had been an annoying, immature otaku.

In the background, Kagami could hear the music from one of Konata's games, and the sound effects of clanging swords and battle cries. "Durandal? What's that?" A third voice, Yutaka. She sounded pleasantly curious, and Kagami realized how much of that optimism she had lost after it had happened...

"Let's see..." Konata's voice paused for a moment. "Two handed sword, it's got some good power... Once wielded by the knight Roland. Interesting."

"See what it does." Hearing Tsukasa was almost too much to bear... Where was she now? Even though she was hearing it all now, Kagami had to remind herself this was all over. She could probably never hope to just sit around with her friends again, just passing the time and living a normal life.

"Hm... I do like the larger swords. They're kind of hard to carry around, but if you can swing it you can do pretty significant damage. Most people just use the smaller, lighter blades just cause they're easier... or even guns, but those are kind of cheap. They just don't take the same level of skill and practice that a sword does."

Kagami spoke into the receiver, remembering exactly what she had said to Konata that day. "You're... talking about a game, right?" Her voice shook.

"Of course I'm not, Kagamin. This is real life, don't you remember? You're the valiant knight, on a quest to save the fair maiden from the tower. You'll need a weapon, right? And I don't think that axe is going to get you far. You nearly broke it just trying to break into one little store! And it's hardly befitting a warrior of your caliber."

"Huh? Konata... is that really you?" Kagami was sure this hadn't been part of the original conversation.

"Didn't I tell you to stay with your group? Honestly, Kagamin, do I need to do _everything_ for you?"

"Listen, you. I was always the one helping you out. You owe me for all that work I did for you. Come on, you're supposed to have godlike powers, aren't you? Why did you send me _here,_ of all places?"

"You really weren't listening, were you? I've got no control over this! Who knows what will happen next!" Konata almost sounded playful, like she really didn't care. "Keep it going, Kagamin, I like where you're taking thi - " Konata's voice was drowned out by static, which amplified and grew into a high-pitched ring of technical interference. Kagami jerked the phone away from her ear, still hearing the sound echoing in her ears, even as the screen went black and the phone died.

_What had that been about...?_ She put it behind her for now, focusing on what was in front of her.

Did it really matter if guns were "cheap"? Actually, if she was stealing them, that_ did_ make them cheap, didn't it? Yeah, _great._ She had her selection from the whole store. They were mounted up behind the counter - rifles, shotguns. All too big, she could never fire a thing like that. Handguns were in a glass case by the counter.

Behind the counter, there were two set apart from the others. Revolvers, with polished wood grips. She walked around to get a closer look, and noticed a note laid under one.

_Roland -_

_Finished the maintenance and cleaning you requested. Sorry I couldn't be here in person, had business out of town. Always a pleasure working with you. Give my regards to Jake and Eddie._

_- Charlie_

So if she took these, that would be breaking another law - stealing, personal property rather than merchandise - as well as Japanese laws on handgun possession. She couldn't forget that one, it had been a key factor when Konata had been murdered... God, had that _really_ happened?

The gun was unexpectedly heavy. Kagami turned it over a few times in her hands, looking closely at it. She flipped open the revolving chamber, and saw it wasn't loaded. Who was she kidding? She didn't know how to use one of these. What kind of ammo did it even take?

Back in that hospital, something had definitely been in there with her. It hadn't been human. Even if she hadn't seen it, she knew that. She needed protection.

Ammo was stored in cabinets along the back wall. She knew enough to eliminate the shotgun shells... and the rifle bullets as well. The 9mm turned out to be too small. She selected a black-and-gold box of .45 handgun ammo, and tried slipping one of the shiny bronze bullets into one of the six chambers on the revolver. It worked. So... she'd take all the boxes they had, while they were at it. Fifty cartridges in each one, the box said.

Kagami shoveled the ammo into the duffel bag, realizing how bad this would look if anyone found her with two handguns and a generous stockpile of ammunition... It looked like she was planning a massacre. She reminded herself it was purely self-defense. Ask questions first, shoot later.

She decided to load up both of the guns, which would give her twelve shots. With any luck, that was all she would need at any given occasion, and she doubted she could reload with enough speed to use any more. Even now, with no pressure, she fumbled with the bullets trying to load them in.

Something rustled behind her, the floor creaked. Kagami felt her heart racing, one of those things... whatever they had been... it was here. But she was ready this time. She spun around, raising one of the guns in her left hand to point it directly at -

"N-no! Don't shoot! P-please!"


	27. Blank Infinity

Once again, the world had turned gray and empty.

"That was..." Negi searched for words. He was visibly shaken at the change, but starting to compose himself. At least until he noticed the Celestial tearing apart the city in the distance. "What is that?"

"A data-based lifeform identified as a Celestial, created by Suzumiya Haruhi," Nagato reported.

"That's... It's the thing we thought you might be able to get rid of..." Miyuki said, trying to clarify.

"It's huge! Why didn't you tell me that?"

"There is very little time left. Can you engage it in battle?" Nagato said.

"Um..." Negi stuttered. "I think so."

Nagato started off, leading them past the stairs heading back up to the plaza and into the city. Negi and Miyuki followed, although Nagato remained silent. Their pace quickened, the footsteps echoing in the vacant city. Had any of them been familiar with it, they might have seen how similar this gray emptiness was to a certain snow-covered town, several worlds away.

Miyuki wasn't quite sure why she was headed towards the gigantic creature with the others. Negi was carrying his magic staff, Nagato could make things happen just by... willing it, somehow, but Miyuki? She was completely unarmed, and no special powers to speak of. She had blindly followed them forward, not truly considering where they were going, and now it was too late to turn back.

It loomed ahead of them, smashing through a building with one of its misshapen arms. Negi stopped running, gradually coming to a stop.

"Wait, I think I can hit it from here..." he said. The sight of him, a small child standing there defiantly (or trying his best to seem as such) was truly strange. But, given the circumstances, it was difficult _not_ to believe in magic. He began some sort of chant. "Ras tel Ma Scir Magister..."

Energy seemed to be flowing into him, enough to make the Celestial turn towards them and stare at them... Or at least it would be, if it had a face. An arm raised in a gesture of anger.

"Unus Fulgor Concidens Noctem, in Mea Manu Ens Inimicum Edat! Fulguratio Albicans!" Negi recited it perfectly, not missing a single syllable. And the strangest thing was that Miyuki understood it perfectly, despite her limited knowledge of Latin. She knew a few mottos for schools or organizations, and also a couple words that were roots for English words, but she could perfectly hear this entire spell as "A stream of light to cut through the night, spring forth from my hand and throttle my enemy! White Lightning!"

As Negi had apparently commanded, a blinding flash of light shot from him towards the Celestial, striking it directly in the chest. The afterimage of the bolt burned itself onto her eyes for a few seconds after the initial flash, but once she could see clearly again, Miyuki could tell...

"It appears to be unaffected," Nagato said. The Celestial had flinched, but was still in one piece. It advanced slowly towards them.

"Wh-what? Um..." Negi thought for a moment, a determined frown on his face as he thought of other spells to use. "What form of magic creates something like this, anyway? It seems really advanced..."

"The being is created through a form of data manipulation that has no equal in this particular universe," Nagato said. There was the frightening idea that nothing Negi could do would work, but he raised the staff defiantly again.

"Sagitta Magica Series Lucis!" A number of beams of light appeared in a circular pattern in front of him, all bursting forward down the city street and twisting around one another like snakes. They all converged on themselves around the shoulder, slicing off the creature's arm.

"I-it worked?" Miyuki said. In spite of the success, she took one step back apprehensively.

"But it's still moving..." Negi said.

"The Celestial has been weakened. Several more strikes will be necessary to defeat it." Nagato showed no joy or satisfaction after Negi's assault, just stood at his side and reported everything neutrally.

"Alright..." Negi said, and raised the staff again, repeating the same spell.

He spoke with even greater confidence, launching another barrage and guiding it towards the remaining upper third of its body. That section also appeared to be sliced off and faded into nothing, including the head and the one remaining arm. He let out a sound of confusion when it simply stumbled back and kept on forward, just a pair of legs, then recited the spell a third time. The tendrils of magic surrounded all that was left, constricting it... and it was gone.

Negi was breathing heavily, still clutching his staff in front of him. "Th-that's it?"

Nagato nodded silently.

The gray world still held up around them, and Miyuki was about to ask what to do next when a crack appeared in the sky. Reality itself seemed to be splitting apart, piece by piece, until it finally shattered...

But it had not been reality. They were returned to the vibrant, colorful, and rather populous world they had started in, getting some strange looks and startled gasps from passerby.

"All detectable traces of Suzumiya's involvement in this world have vanished. It is unlikely that she was ever here personally." Miyuki looked at Nagato, not entirely comprehending what that would entail.

Negi glanced around, self-conscious of all the attention they were getting but also shaken from the fight and the dissolution of the closed space. "So that... It wasn't any ordinary magic, not even just an advanced spell... Who exactly are you?"

* * *

Chapter 27

Shadows in my Mind

* * *

Kagami's finger had stopped just short of pulling the trigger. The beam of the flashlight revealed Mikuru, cowering in fear, legs trembling. Kagami came to realize that she had very nearly shot her directly in the head.

"Mikuru...? Oh my God, I'm sorry..." Kagami said finally.

"C-can you... put the gun down?"

She'd still been holding it up in front of her. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry about that... I didn't think you were..." What _had_ she been expecting? "I... don't know."

Glancing up, Mikuru saw the revolver now hanging down at Kagami's side, barrel to the floor, and stood up slowly. "Where did you go? I got lost... And you guys weren't there anymore... They're not with you?"

"No... I think we all got separated." Besides the two of them in the gun shop, Rei and Joshua were still out there somewhere, most likely still in the town. The four of them - no more, no less. Konata wasn't here.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone, so I figured it was... Who were you talking to, Kagami-san?" Mikuru said, her eyes wide.

"No one," Kagami said. That was the truth. Nobody had called her. "You're okay, though, right? You're not hurt?"

"Uh... no, I'm fine," Mikuru replied. "But... how are we supposed to get out of here?"

Kagami remembered she had found a map in one of the drawers. That had been shortly before she had been interrupted by - what, exactly? She dug around in the red duffel bag a bit, and found it underneath all the ammunition. She spread it out on the glass counter, and held the flashlight up to it. "Here, let's find out where we are, at least," she said.

Most of it was taken up by a large blue splotch labeled as "Toluca Lake." The town itself was split into two parts, north and south, with the lake in the middle and a long road stretching around the west side. Up in the corner the words Silent Hill were printed, the name of the town. It was oddly familiar... Was that from a movie or something? That could be the case, she reminded herself. The girl she was stuck here with was a fictional character from a book, after all.

"Wait, there's where I started..." Kagami said. Brookhaven Hospital was in the lower left corner of the map, but since she had escaped _(no, she had left, there had been nothing to escape from)_ she had wandered around aimlessly a bit.

A memory flashed in her mind, a street sign that had said Bachman. The other street's name eluded her for the moment. Now she remembered the coffee shop, the traffic lights blinking on and off sporadically, and the last time she had seen any other human beings. It seemed like such a long time ago. Kagami scanned the southern half of the town. They were somewhere in that region... "Hey, do you see anything that says Bachman on here?" Kagami asked, not looking up.

"Bachman...? Um..." Mikuru squinted. "Oh! There it is!" Her finger landed on the upper half, the district north of the lake. Kagami hadn't even been looking there.

"All the way across the lake, then..." Kagami sighed, and nearly couldn't stand to look at the map anymore. There was no good news to be found. She recovered herself. "We really ended up a long way away, then..."

"Huh?"

"Bachman Road is where we started out. I... can't really say why, but I figure that's where we're supposed to go. Maybe the others will end up there, too." Kagami returned to the map, and saw some symbols scratched around Neely Street with a ballpoint pen. The handwriting was scrunched up in order to fit, but upon closer inspection, it read "Decker." There was a circle drawn on the side of the road marking the location.

"We're on Neely Street then... If we just follow this, and take Nathan Avenue around back to the other side of town..." She let out a sigh. "Why does it have to be so_ far?"_

"We're going to walk there?" Mikuru said.

"Apparently. It's the only - "

Kagami stopped. The sound was slowly fading in, a high-pitched, slightly metallic wail that she had heard once before. The view of the street outside the window was starting to darken.

Mikuru recognized it as well, and grabbed onto Kagami's arm. Usually that kind of personal space invasion would have bothered her, but for the time being it seemed like a good idea. She quickly grabbed the map, not bothering to fold it, and shoved it down into the duffel bag. Both guns were in there. With her free hand, she took one of them out and held it at the ready, pointing up towards the ceiling.

The sound continued to blare out, rising and falling at least ten times it seemed like before it finally stopped.

"Nothing happened..." Kagami breathed.

Everything was silent again, and Mikuru was still standing next to her, loosening her grip but still not completely letting go of Kagami's right arm. Returning the gun to the bag for the time being, she removed the flashlight instead. She could hear Mikuru whimpering softly.

"Come on... Let's hurry up and get out of here." Kagami gently pulled herself away, and Mikuru followed close behind.

The street outside had changed. It was darker, but also less foggy, so the combination actually made it just a bit easier to see than it had been before. It had warmed up considerably. In fact, it seemed too warm for snow to be falling still. Examining a flake that fell on her hand, Kagami realized they were ashes, leaving faint gray smears if she touched them.

"We'll just follow the map - " Kagami pulled out the creased and wrinkled map, and tried to determine which direction would lead them towards Nathan Avenue. "It's... over there, to the left." She pointed, and started heading off that way, which was the only signal Mikuru would accept to move forward as well. It was a miracle she had gotten anywhere on her own.

They continued past some more store fronts, a Chinese place called Lucky Jade (boarded up and abandoned - no surprise there), and although it sounded crazy, Kagami could swear that the paint was peeling off those signs even as she watched. Yes, it was - she saw a big red sliver fall off a letter "J," and more started coming off the "A" with no apparent cause.

"Kagami-san... What do we do now?" Mikuru sounded concerned.

"There's nothing wrong, we'll just - " Kagami's attention snapped back to the road in front of her, and she saw what had Mikuru so worried.

A huge chasm was in the road ahead, at least fifty meters across and inestimably deep. Water pipes could be seen jutting out of the edge from underground, and the pavement itself hang out past the foundation. It looked like something had exploded.

"Uh..." Kagami was at a loss, something that was becoming familiar to her. "No, this is still okay, we'll just..." She consulted the map again. "Did you see a sign for Katz Street? We could go around there, it should be nearby."

The sounds of heavy breathing and flesh hitting the asphalt could be heard.

* * *

Tsukasa should have felt good about how the curry turned out, and getting to sit and relax for a while, but those numbers... She couldn't convince herself that they were wrong. It seemed absolute.

At first when they returned to the main dining area, only Kamina had been left at the table, half-asleep with boredom. After a few minutes, Dante had returned from a walk. He hadn't wanted to stay there with someone who was, in Dante's own words, "a total headcase."

"Tsukasa? I thought you'd be starving," Kyon said. He was nearly finished with his plate. "This is great. You've really got talent."

She looked up. "Huh? Oh... thanks..." Even as she looked at him, the number "1" suddenly rolled down to "0." She gasped.

"What's wrong with you?" Dante said.

"It's... um..." Tsukasa couldn't hold it in any longer. She tensed up, squinting, and let it all out in one breath. "W-we're all going to die in less than a day!"

They stared at her.

"Wait... you mean those death clock things?" Kyon said finally. Tsukasa nodded, her eyes still squeezed shut.

"Eh?" Kamina said. "I never heard about this."

"You're sure? It only says one day?" Kyon said, ignoring him.

"N-no - I mean, it did for a while, but - " Tsukasa could barely speak. "It's down to zero... We don't even have a full day!"

"I've gotta say, I'm impressed we even have_ that_ long." Dante leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms behind his head. "How do you know that, exactly?"

"The thing she found yesterday - the COMP, or whatever... It shows the user how long a person has left to live, as long as it's under seven days," Kyon said, recalling the basics of the instructions. He shook his head. "I don't even know what to do now."

"Did I ever tell any of you..." Kamina's voice was low and even, his arms folded across his chest calmly. "I was supposed to die years ago. It's thanks to Eclipse that I got an advance warning. This is just like that. And, just like before, I'm going to cheat destiny." His voice rose in intensity as he continued. "Because there's no way some filthy demons can destroy the fearless leader of our Brigade! And I'd suggest you do the same!"

They stared at him, and even Tsukasa picked her head up to see.

"I'm sorry... _what?"_ Kyon said in a tired voice.

"Maybe I'd trust that kind of a speech coming from anyone but you," Dante said. "You're the one who already nearly got us killed."

"We may not know what's coming, but we know when. In about twenty-four hours, something's going to happen to us. And we won't let it," Kamina said. "That's all there is to it."

Outside on the street, a group of people started yelling and arguing. No distinct voices could be heard, it was all complete chaos. Some bystanders tried to make their way around, or simply went back the way they came. It seemed so dangerous out there, and they couldn't even see any demons. Tsukasa turned around to watch nervously, feeling secure at this distance.

Kyon was the first to speak. "Alright... At least it's better than just sitting around waiting for it to come. What do you suggest we do until then?"

"We prepare ourselves," Kamina said.

"You mean..." Tsukasa started to say. "You mean I should use that auction thing...?"

Kyon nodded. "It couldn't hurt to look through it. Let's see what we find."

Hesitantly, Tsukasa pulled the COMP back out from her pocket, where she had felt its rectangular shape against her like a constant omen of things to come. It booted up with the now-familiar dark red color motif on the screen, and she chose the icon for Auction.

Dante had stood up now, and moved over behind her, watching what came up on the screen. With both him and Kyon watching her, she felt nervous. Each demon on the list had a picture of what it would look like, and just about all of them were forms she wouldn't care to see in real life. She could hardly make it through even the cheesiest horror movies, even the most fake of special effects could be enough to keep her awake all night. She desperately wished that Kagami could be here.

The prices were listed in some currency she didn't recognize, and the symbol was not for yen by any stretch of the imagination. However, it said she already had 2395 of... whatever money it was, and that was enough for a few demons by the looks of it. She took a deep breath.

After making it through about five pages of listings, she found one - its name was Heqet, she noticed - and decided to try for that one. Something about it reminded her less of a monster and more of... Keroro Gunsou, as strange as it was.

She was successful on that one, the first of several auctions, until all the money was used up.

* * *

After wandering through the desert for so many hours, it came as a shock to Konata to start to see plant life, eventually growing into an entire forest overgrown with ancient willow trees and Spanish moss. The intense heat faded into a pleasant, almost tropical air.

They had talked to stave off the boredom that came from the sameness of the scenery. After endless desert, the scenery had changed to endless forests, which were pretty to look at for a while but quickly grew stale. Konata was used to the feeling, it was that way with countless adventure RPGs. Junpei asked her about previous assignments she had taken, and all the iconic anime characters she knew on a first-name basis. Koizumi wanted to know more about the Haruhi franchise that existed in her world and others, what it revealed about himself and his fellow Brigade members... and he also showed interest in the cafe Konata had worked at, seeing it as something of a curiosity.

Estimating by the position of the sun through the trees, it seemed like maybe late afternoon when they finally came to the base of the mountains.

"Whoa..." Konata said, looking up. There was a waterfall coming down into the river at their side, and a sheer cliff face all the way across. A rockslide had occurred in one spot, and looking up to the top of the pile, she could have sworn that somewhere about twenty feet above them... "Wait, did anyone else just see that?"

"See what?" Junpei said.

"I thought I saw... Someone in a dark cloak was up there, and they went into..." She looked closer at where the figure had been for only a split second. It had been a brief flash of black, the edge of a cloak. "There's a cave up there. We need to go inside."

"You're sure about that?" Jason said. His eyes were directed towards the cave, but apparently nobody but Konata had seen anything move up there. It was possible it had been a bird or something, but she was convinced otherwise. "Hey, wait up."

She had already started climbing. Jason looked back at the others, shrugged, and followed after her.

It was utterly dark inside the cave, and so it was impossible to see if anyone was in there, black cloak or not. A light trickle of water could be heard within, but that was all.

"Konata..." Junpei tried to catch his breath after the climb. "You're sure we're supposed to go in there?"

She drew her sword, not one of the boring steel ones, but Laevateinn. It was useful in situations like this. Konata stepped forward into the opening, now able to see the walls somewhat clearly in the flickering orange glare. A much brighter light came on from behind her, and she turned to see Jason with a flashlight. She gave him a look.

"I thought I'd come prepared. There's a reason these were invented, you know," he said. The yellow circle of the beam moved over the featureless walls, finding nothing.

"Sure..." Konata said, but decided to keep her sword out anyway.

There was no path in here, just the walls to guide you along the tunnel. It branched at one point, splitting into two separate corridors, and Konata examined the ground for several minutes looking for any trace of the man in black. She couldn't have imagined him. It had only been the briefest glimpse, but it definitely had not been a bird, or even an animal. Besides, there was no sign of life in the cave. She took the leftmost path on a hunch.

The lack of light made the passage of time impossible to tell. They couldn't even depend on the light of the sky to discern the time of day, and the cell phones all reported no service. According to Konata's now-useless Talisman (which she still carried, on the off chance it would function again), it was 7:19 on October 22. The last time she had checked it had been when they had first arrived here, and she couldn't remember what it had said then. All she knew for sure was that this was their second day.

Her dad must know everything by now. About Eclipse, and about her. If Konata had ended up here, someone else had gone home, and she was actually glad it hadn't been her. She could handle dark caves and mysterious, shadowy figures just fine. Of course, whoever hadn't ended up in Saitama could be anywhere. With any luck, they were all safe, at the very least.

Junpei let out a yell as he tripped over something. Jason directed the flashlight in his direction, where he was pulling himself to his feet. "I'm fine... What is this, anyway?"

"Looks like a railroad... Maybe this is an old mine shaft," Koizumi suggested.

The rails were old and rusty, but seemed to be of a modern-style construction. There were no crossbars connecting them, wooden or otherwise. The stone floor seemed to even out as if it had been paved.

"I don't know..." Konata said, but they gave her a good feeling. If she wanted to find something at the end of the tracks, and if she expected to... Then she would. "We'll follow them."

They went along the tracks for a few more minutes before coming across a steel platform on wheels. There was a double-ended handle on top that would seesaw back and forth, probably a handcar... Konata climbed up on top, and tried pushing down on one end.

"Good, push again!" it responded.

"Did that thing just talk?" Junpei said.

"I think so..." Konata muttered, testing it again.

"Good, push again!" The recording was annoyingly cheerful, and the car barely moved at all. Inspection of the wheels revealed they had rusted onto the tracks long ago. Even if it had moved, Konata doubted she could stand to hear that voice every time they pumped it down.

"It doesn't work. Leave it here," Jason said.

"You didn't have to tell me," Konata said, jumping down from the platform. She could see all three of their faces in the combined light from her sword and Jason's flashlight, but all around them was blackness. "We'll keep going, then?"

Leaving the handcar behind them, they continued into the darkness, still not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel.

"Hey, you guys hear something?" Junpei said.

"Such as?" Koizumi inquired. They all fell silent, listening for anything in the distance. All that could be heard was the trickle of water from the river back behind them. That sound had always been in the background, and had in fact grown quieter since it had diverted away from them. What else was there to hear?

"For fun and relaxation, Nozz-A-La is the #1 choice all around the world!" Konata spun around at the sound of the voice, and realized it probably came from the voice box on the car. An advertisement?

"Konata, we're still in the same world, right? The one with Tull, and that old house we stayed at? You're sure you didn't cross us over at some point?" Junpei asked.

It was a crazy idea, but who knew? "I think we are, yeah," she said.

"Hmm... I could have sworn I heard something else. Not the advertisement, but - "

There was a very faint scratching noise. Junpei fell silent. As they listened, other noises could be heard. Sniffling, grunting. Something moving back there.

"I don't think we're alone," Jason said. "Let's hurry. Stick together."

Konata took out a sword, one of the Japanese-styled katanas that Junpei often used back in Tartarus, and handed it to him. "Just in case," she said, and she could see his wide-eyed expression in the faint light.

She seemed to be leading, scanning the few meters she could see in front of her for any sign of movement. All kinds of images flashed in her mind of possible creatures that could live in a place like this. She'd seen a few similar situations in her time. The darkness didn't lend itself well to development of visual senses, so they'd rely on sound and vibration, most likely. The noise they made stumbling around in the dark, talking to one another, all those things were likely to draw them in. But the fire and the flashlight were just as likely to scare them off.

A faint, sickening smell was here now as well.

"Whoa! Something just touched me!" Junpei cried out suddenly.

Konata quickly turned around, and in the sweep of her blade she could see a faint glimpse of a disfigured, greenish-grey face. As quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

"Hang on, I think they're moving in," she said.

Jason was searching with his flashlight at the same time, moving it at a moderate speed across the spacious cavern they had entered. Quick enough to search the entire area, slow enough to catch something... A twisted, moist-looking leg scurrying off in the distance, for instance. Konata saw it at the same time he did, and was distracted enough that she wasn't expecting the hand to come down on her shoulder.

Spinning around, she saw the face - the eyes were starving, delirious with excitement at finding a visitor. It moved towards her, and she stabbed at it with her blade. It went down easily.

"Keep your guards up. And keep moving," she said.

The light they cast seemed so weak, they were in the center of this huge open darkness that could go on for eternity, and more of those things were out there, snarling. In a tight circle, all facing outwards, they moved in the direction that seemed like it was forward. Was it? If they kept moving, they were bound to find something. A way out, at best. At worst, a wall.

She heard Junpei yell out and strike at something that groaned as it died. Jason was armed with a shotgun now, and blasted at something that momentarily lit up a wider area around them. For just a moment, the flash revealed nothing but more empty space around them, and the glint of more eyes in the darkness.

And there was an even brighter flash. Magic, maybe, but Konata hadn't been the one to cast it. Jason seemed likely.

"That's interesting..." She heard Koizumi's voice. "I suppose I have you to thank for this, Konata." Suddenly she realized what it had been.

Still keeping their tightly-knit group, they ran as quick as they could without splitting apart. The creatures were restless now, maybe even seeking revenge. They leapt forward even more recklessly, being met with either fire, steel, energy blast. Their numbers, like the cavern itself, seemed infinite.

Konata moved her hand to the left in a sweeping gesture, casting hot orange flames all across the ranks of mutated freaks. The smell of them burning was even worse than their usual stench, but still preferable to being torn apart and eaten.

"Looks like there's a passage up ahead. Keep going!" she heard Jason say, directly behind her.

She turned around, and saw it in his flashlight beam. She also saw the faint outlines of Junpei's baseball cap to her left, and saw a flash as Koizumi shot another sphere of energy towards the mutants. All four of them made a dash for the exit.

Faint violet light could be seen ahead. Finally, a way out of the caves. "Hurry up, we're just about there!" Konata called back.

It grew in intensity as they approached, and the legions following on their heels squealed in pain, apparently repelled by the greater degree of light offered by the outside world.

Ahead of them, though... It was so dark she almost missed it, but there was a wide chasm between them and that weak pinpoint of violet sky that could be seen now. The tracks continued, making a bridge across, feebly supported on a tangle of rusted steel girders.

"Think we can make it?" Konata said.

"It's our only choice, isn't it?" Koizumi replied.

She did her best to visualize them all successfully crossing the gap. It would be so easy to stumble as you tried to balance yourself on the beams stretching across, and even after all the effort of traversing the caves and surviving those things would be lost. Where did it even end?

Jason was the first one to go, and nobody wanted the group to separate, so against any better judgement they all filed along the slim path.

Where was the bottom of this? You couldn't even see where the base of those supports was anchored. It was dizzying. And somehow, Konata didn't think that falling would truly kill you. This chasm simply stretched over... what? If you fell, you went to another world. There are other worlds than these, after all.

"Everyone still here?" Jason called. "There's solid ground just ahead. Looks like we made it."

Stepping onto the solid rock was relieving. Konata realized she had been holding her breath, and let it out in a deep sigh... And also heard the others do the same, as they stepped off the tracks. The exit was just ahead.

"It was fascinating what you did back there, Konata," Koizumi said conversationally. "I only had access to a very small degree of my total power, and it didn't nearly compare to what I'm able to do in a closed space. But it was just enough to suit our needs. Do you know how you did it?"

"I wish I did. You can't use them anymore?" she replied.

"It doesn't seem so. Maybe if we're ever in danger again," he suggested.

She was the first one out, and stared for a long time at the comparatively bright, starry night sky, just taking in the light of the moon after all the dark chaos she had just escaped. This was what she wanted to get away from now, she was done living this high-adrenaline, dangerous lifestyle. At the current moment, all she wanted was to stand out here where it was calm, and not do anything... although going to Animate and browsing through the books and DVDS also entered her mind as a rather appealing idea.

After a deep breath, Konata looked down at where they were. She was mildly surprised to see a sturdy wooden door before her, standing up without a frame, hinges attached to nothing at all. And she also noticed the black-cloaked figure on the ground.

"That's... It can't be the guy you were talking about, can it?" She hadn't even realized Junpei was right behind her.

All that was left of the man in black was his cloak and some old bones. Konata had enough experience to tell apart freshly-cleaned bones from those that had been rotting a while, and if she had to guess, this one had been dead for at least a decade. A full deck of tarot cards were scattered on the ground, most face down, but she noticed a few that faced her. The Magician, the Hermit, the Tower. Actually, it wasn't a full deck, since she had a suspicion that he had left behind the Star card somewhere.

"This doesn't make any sense... I'm sure I saw someone go in there right before we did." She stared down at the corpse.

"At any rate, we have our way forward. Just like you made before," Jason said. "It doesn't look like he left us anything, so we'll keep going."

"Seriously? All this time... it was a false trail..." Konata said. "I'm getting so tired of this."

"If you really want us to find Haruhi and be finished with this... Then let's see where you've got us going to next," Koizumi said, and stepped over to the door. "Any volunteers for going first?"

As she had done before, Konata was the first to enter.


	28. Among The Living

It had been the night of October 18, the day before Konata would arrive in this world, bringing twelve other people from all across the multiverse with her. Of course, Haruhi hadn't known any of that was about to happen. For her, it had just been Saturday.

Admittedly, it had been a good couple of weeks. The movie was nearly finished, and interest in the SOS Brigade was going to skyrocket once this premiered at the culture festival. They weren't doing anything boring like a cafe as most of the classes and organizations did, the five of them (but mostly Haruhi herself) had produced a _real movie_ that showed just why aliens, time travelers, and espers were so much more fascinating than ordinary humans. It was a shame that Kyon insisted the whole idea of the thing was fake, and Haruhi had grudgingly accepted that, but... People like that _did_ exist, and she knew it. And the Brigade was how she would find them.

Haruhi had stayed for at least an hour, reviewing the movie a few more times. The editing seemed good, the plot played out just how she wanted it... Maybe if they had time they could get a few more scenes of Mikuru in there for good measure. Haruhi had checked the clothes rack, but couldn't find any sexy outfits they hadn't already included in at least one scene.

Before she had even realized it, the sun had set. There would be time for last-minute additions when they met tomorrow, so she had turned out the lights and left the club room until the following Monday.

She walked back in silence, deep in thought, contemplating possible future club activities. At this point, her thoughts mostly involved what would happen on the festival day itself - presenting the film, spreading the word about the true nature of the supernatural that everyone seemed to overlook.

As Haruhi approached the railroad tracks that she crossed every day, the lights came on and the crossbar lowered. She folded her arms impatiently, waiting for the train to cross. Such a pain. Oh well, not like she was in a hurry or anything.

The train sped past, and several minutes later the back end went by and the crossing was opened up again. Somebody else had appeared on the other side of the tracks, also out for a late-night walk, and crossed the tracks coming towards her side. A tall man, long hair, wearing a wrinkled jacket and boots. In this light she could only see the faint outlines of his dark form.

They crossed the tracks at the same time, and as he passed, she heard him say, quite clearly: "Suzumiya Haruhi."

She stopped as well, a little shocked, and turned to look at him. "Excuse me?"

Now that they were right next to each other, she could see his features in much more detail. He was foreign - American, if she had to take a guess. A collection of buttons were on his dark blue, denim jacket - a smiley face, a peace sign, another one that featured a picture of a cartoonish pig in a policeman's cap, with some blood-splattered English letters beneath it. She stared at that one for a while, trying to make sense of it.

"You know just who I am," he said. She waited for him to say something else, but he didn't.

She frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about," Haruhi said. She gave him another glance. "I'm in a hurry." She started walking again, but only made it a few steps.

"You've got somewhere more interesting to be? I wonder, whatever could it be?" he said, not moving from the spot. "I can't believe you'd be in such a hurry just to get home, go to sleep, and get ready to face another day of your boring, normal life. Just stop and think for a moment, Haruhi. You remember me, don't you?"

No... Wait, yes she did. Shreds of the memory were coming back... A dream that Haruhi had just a few nights ago. Those endless red fields stretching out to the horizon in every direction, the monolithic black tower jutting out from the center. And Flagg had been there, and he had explained everything. Once she had woken up, lying in bed for a moment while she stared at the wall and thought it over a few times, she'd considered it just a weird dream, like the one she'd had about the school and that giant, wonderful creature tearing it apart. A good dream, and a vivid one, but nothing more.

"It's really quite terrible, but my original plans didn't exactly go according to schedule." He still faced away from her, but he was grinning. He knew she had turned around and taken interest in him again. "I'm very disappointed about this. I put so much effort into it..."

"What exactly... are you?" she asked. It was hard to put him into a category. He had some kind of special power about him, some kind of a mystical air. What was it? She found that she desperately wanted to know more about him.

"Just a simple traveler. The 'Walkin' Dude,' if you prefer. So how about it? What do you say we hit the road?"

"Of course I want to come," Haruhi said. So everything in the dream was true? "But... I should really tell the others about this, it's exactly what we've been looking for!"

"Nah, sorry, don't think so. It might already be too late," he said, his voice raising hintingly at the end.

"Too late? What's_ that_ supposed to mean?"

"The original plans fell through, and looks like the King's working faster than I thought, that old son of a bitch. Besides, do you_ really_ think that those friends of yours care?" he said. "They're just along for the ride, they've got nothing better to do and they think you're just about the most entertaining thing to come along in years. You don't seriously think any of them believe in aliens or ghosts, do you? They're just looking for something to get rid of that horrible, gnawing boredom. Besides... you're the only one who'll be any good for what I have in mind. You're something special, my dear Miss Suzumiya."

Haruhi hated to admit it, but looking back... Kyon had argued so much about the movie, saying her plot didn't make sense and she was abusing Mikuru. Nagato just sat there, she never got excited over anything at all. And Koizumi? He was _too_ nice. He just went along with anything, he never had any real ideas of his own to contribute. Mikuru was out of the question, Haruhi knew she hated the club but that was what made her so cute.

And now here... He must be a wizard or something, even if he was kind of shabbily dressed. She had expected something grander, but this was all she had. Something in his eyes intrigued her. He wanted her to come with him right away? That was just fine, then. Really, she wouldn't be missing anything.

"Alright. So we're going to the Tower?"

"Of _course_ we're going to the Tower." He smiled. "So you're all set to go? Got your bags packed, tickets ordered, passport ready?" he said. "Ah, like I even care. We're taking off if you're ready or not."

"I am ready."

"Then that's good. Perfect. We'll make an interesting team, that's for sure. So, one last thing..." He looked directly at her, and she noticed his red eyes. Creepy... yet still very cool. "You trust me, don't you? 'Cause it's all just a simple matter of trust, and I mean that in the most literal sense."

She didn't hesitate at all. This was her moment, something amazing was finally happening to her, and she wished it would never end. She'd gladly leave this old town behind forever. "Yes. I trust you."

The lights flashed, the striped bars came down on either side. Haruhi barely took notice. She had finally figured it out. The Tower didn't exist in this world, and her new friend was obviously a slider. And she was going with him. Maybe what she was looking for didn't exist in this world, but who was to say that the Tower didn't hold the answers? Maybe she was never meant for this universe at all. She was meant for something greater. And now she knew what it was.

By the time the train ran over where they had both stood, the entire area was empty.

* * *

Chapter 28

Divided They Can't Stand

* * *

Mikuru was frantic now. She could barely move, and it was all Kagami could do to keep a steady hand as she scanned around the area, trying to place the sounds. She held one revolver at the ready in her left hand.

"K-Kagami-san?" Mikuru said.

"Wait..." Neither of them said anything for a moment. The footsteps were getting closer. They had an awkward, limping gait. "Keep going. Maybe we'll lose them."

Kagami started down the street, past a row of cars that had been parked there at some time but now sat empty. When she glanced behind her, Mikuru was still standing there frozen. Kagami muttered something under her breath, and went back to grab onto her. Mikuru jumped at the contact, but reluctantly followed.

Once they had passed all the empty cars, they could see a chain-link fence along the sidewalk in front of a tall brick structure, a new contrast to all the storefronts. Sounds could still be heard beyond all the fog, and at one point the fence rattled as if something had grabbed onto it further down and shook it forcefully. Both of them were startled by that, but a few meters down there was a gate. Once locked, now open, as evidenced by the twisted padlock laying on the ground.

"Where is this..." Kagami said, referring again to the map. She couldn't tell, but this building might be the one here that stretched out to a back alley and connected to Nathan Avenue. A sign was posted, declaring NO TRESPASSING in large letters and naming the building Woodside Apartments underneath in smaller type. "There might be a way through, like a back door or something."

"We're going... inside?" Mikuru said. "I don't like this..."

"I realize it's dangerous. I think just staying around here, in this world or whatever, is probably dangerous. But we still need to find a way out, or else - "

A lumbering form appeared, almost human but with both arms gone like a twisted Venus statue. The flesh was brown and meaty, and where there should have been a face it was just smooth. Still, despite its apparent lack of a face, it groaned as it came towards them. The skin stretched as if it was trying to rip open a mouth for itself.

Mikuru instantly recoiled, looking for any possible exits. Kagami had to stop herself from doing the same, backing up as calmly as she could manage, fumbling around with the bag in an attempt to find one of the revolvers. She pointed it, held the smooth wooden grip with both hands, and pulled the trigger.

The force of the shot - the sound, the explosion, the thrust of the recoil - came as a complete shock to her, as did the way that the creature ripped apart but did not die. Bracing herself for the next one, Kagami fired again, and then a third time. The thing's leg was torn off, and as it stumbled and collapsed its chest ripped open by the next blast. Something viscous and brown was dripping out of it.

Kagami stared at it for a moment. Her breathing had grown heavy. She simultaneously regretted the idea of picking up these weapons and thanked herself for being prepared.

"Come on. We need to move." She turned around, seeing Mikuru standing several meters away. "Are you coming or not?"

"Y-yes..." Mikuru hurried back over to her, casting a nervous glance towards the motionless corpse on the ground.

Unsure of what to expect, Kagami approached the door and gently opened it, shining the flashlight around inside. Her hands were still trembling restlessly, retaining the memories of the gun's force, but she hadn't put the revolver away just yet. Although it was dark inside - like the hospital had been - nothing was inside, save for a wall of small rectangular mailboxes and a stairway leading up. There was a faded floral-patterned wallpaper peeling off the walls. She took a step inside. The floor creaked. It was the only noise.

"I don't like it in here... Can't we find another way?" Mikuru said.

"Look, the back door's just down that hallway. We're not staying here," Kagami reassured her.

When they tried the door, it was locked. Of course it would be.

Kagami sighed. The chances of being able to break it down didn't seem good, and she'd left the axe behind in favor of what seemed like more reliable weapons. "Maybe... There has to be a key to this, right? Let's head upstairs. Maybe there's a closet or an office or something."

"I... I don't want to go up there! We're going to get lost again!" Mikuru was frantic.

Acting as if she didn't hear, Kagami stood at the bottom of the steps and shined the light up, although it didn't reveal anything. She realized she was playing the part of the older sister again, in a sense. She was the leader here for now, like it or not. "You can do whatever you want, but I think we should go up there. You can stay down below if it makes you feel better."

Considering the pros and cons of following her well-armed partner or staying alone in the dark, Mikuru whimpered softly, but followed her to the second floor.

Even considering what was going on right now, it was strange to consider that the girl following her around was a fictional character. In this world she didn't look like the illustrations from the light novel, but she certainly was the same person.

"I can't even keep track of what's real anymore..." Kagami mused aloud.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'm not trying to be rude or anything here, it's just... I never thought you were a real person. I'm still not sure if I believe you are," Kagami replied. "Sorry... I know you must be worried about your friends just as much as I am. Come to think of it, Kyon's with my sister, isn't he?"

"Um... y-yeah... And they went with those other two..." Mikuru couldn't remember the names, and Kagami just remembered that they had both been insane. Kyon being there had actually given her a small ounce of comfort, if only from Kagami's knowledge of him... as a fictional character. Which also reminded her of why she hated this whole situation.

"I hope they're both okay." She had almost said she hoped Tsukasa was okay, but if Kyon was a real person like Asahina Mikuru had turned out to be, shouldn't he be a concern too?

"Yeah... Th-thank you for... Everything..."

"Heh. Don't thank me until we get out of this alive, alright?"

The ring of the flashlight's beam revealed a depressing hallway of peeling paint and broken beer bottles on the floor. On one of the walls, some graffiti had been sprayed in a loopy, illegible style. Near the top of the stairs was a cramped laundry closet with an old yellow machine that was in need of a wash itself. A quick sweep of the walls and desk didn't reveal anything, keys or anything else of use.

"Can we just go back down?" Mikuru pleaded. "There's nothing here..."

Kagami was about to agree with her. She was getting an uneasy feeling as well. But, as if asking them to stay, the sound of muffled voices drifted in. It was impossible to discern any of the words, or even the age and gender of the speaker. Without a word, Kagami returned to the hallway, searching around with the light and pointing the gun ahead. That had almost become habit in the past couple of minutes.

The sound led her down the hallway, around a turn to the left. She noticed the sound of feet on the aged linoleum behind her, but realized it was only Mikuru, abandoning all her self-preservation instincts to follow Kagami deeper into certain death. This was better than the hospital. She had a light, she had a gun, and best of all, she had a companion. Kagami continued walking. The voices were coming from Room 208 at the end of the hall.

* * *

Hiiragi Tsukasa, the quiet, well-mannered aspiring chef from Washimiya, was now in command of a considerable gang of demons, and she found that she really wasn't too happy about that fact.

Kamina had been proud of her. He'd been telling them about how, back where he was from, they stole the enemy's Gunmen, turning them against the original masters, fighting for the survival of the human race, and how all of it was exactly like what was going on right here. She envied his ability to keep a confident smile on his face, seemingly ignorant of how much it annoyed the rest of them. If Tsukasa had even an ounce of that confidence she'd be fine, but she didn't.

"Man, I thought we'd see some more of them today! Are those cowards scared or something?" he said, once it had began to get dark out. The lights didn't come on, apparently the power was cut.

"That's fine with me." Kyon yawned. "Sure, we're more powerful than we were before, after going through those auctions, but it still says we have less than a day left. Let's not go looking for trouble, alright?"

Tsukasa agreed silently. Those Gunmen she'd been hearing about... They were pretty much just robotic vehicles, she'd be willing to trust one of those more than a pack of monsters that could turn on her at any moment. She shuddered. That wasn't a good thought.

The park was filled with people. Schoolkids, office workers, all different ages and occupations, stuck in here together. They all just set up camp in the park. As long as the lockdown was in effect, the outside world might as well be nonexistant, including all those homes that they all wanted to return to. Tsukasa was reminded again of her family, and Kagami... wherever she was.

"Should we stop and rest?" she suggested. "I'm getting really tired..." Even a city bench would look good to her. Even the ground, for that matter.

"Tsukasa! Aren't you the one who can see those little numbers everywhere? You're the one who told us we're all scheduled to die sometime! You really think it's a good idea to sleep?" Kamina said, rather loudly. People turned their attention to him, looking in his direction, but that was all.

"You're not tired? Good, then you can stay up and be our lookout," Dante said.

"For once... I agree with him," Kyon said. "If there's any chance of us surviving, go ahead and wake us up. But if we're doomed, then don't bother."

"Huh?" Tsukasa realized what he was implying, but the opportunity to stop and rest was still too tempting to pass up. "Um... I guess we should find a spot, then..."

* * *

She ran her fingers through her blue hair, enjoying its familiarity. Unlike whatever they had just come from, this world looked like home. With any luck, Konata would actually recognize this place... Yes, she could work with this.

Koizumi showed some mild surprise at the change, as it was his first time seeing one of these kinds of worlds. He wasn't very verbal about it, although maybe it affected him deeper than he showed. He simply said, "This is new."

"Hmm... Back in one of these places? Great..." Junpei said. Konata tried to think. He'd been in Lucky Star, then Melancholy, and... that was it, so he had never gotten much of a chance to adapt. Maybe he'd come to enjoy it as much as she did.

The buildings around here were all in muted shades of grey with some dull accents of blue or green, but at least the sky was blue and the sun was pleasantly warm. For the first time in a few days, there was something resembling pavement. The light grey bricks of the road and sidewalks were smooth enough, nothing like the streets of Tokyo, but acceptable. Nothing here was higher than three stories it seemed, giving the impression of... early twentieth century, maybe.

"Wait a minute..." Konata said. It was coming together. The desert had reminded her of something, which she had then made an offhand comment about, but ever since then scenes and flashes had been in the back of her mind. It had been a while since she'd read or watched the series, but it was a classic, one of those franchises that really stuck around. "I think this is Fullmetal Alchemist..."

"You mean like..." Junpei said. "Nevermind. It's just another anime. Honestly, this doesn't surprise me anymore."

Sure, it had been going through her mind a lot, and that was probably why they were here... But it had just been a passing connection she had made. Nothing important. And that meant this was probably a dead end as well. They could ask around about Haruhi, but it was unlikely that anyone had seen her around here. Nope, Konata realized she had just goofed.

Koizumi, on the other hand, still seemed optimistic. Probably because he was uninformed. "Good, then you know exactly where we are, then? What's our next step?"

"All we can do from here is find a way out... I'm sorry, this really isn't any kind of progress. I made a mistake." Konata shrugged. "I doubt we'll find anything important here."

"What do you mean, a mistake?" Jason said. "Do you know how you brought us here?"

"Sure. I've always been a Fullmetal Alchemist fan, it was a good series. I just got to thinking about it back in Tull, and how that place was kind of like certain episodes of this show... And now here we are." Konata let out a sigh. "Sorry. I thought I wanted to go home, but I guess I just can't resist all of these different animes..."

"So there's nothing here," Koizumi said.

"I'm pretty sure, yeah."

"If you got here by thinking about it, what if you tried focusing _just_ on Haruhi? You want to meet her, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Konata said. "But it's not that easy. It was about a day and a half before the door to this place showed up after I started thinking about it. I still don't remember anything about creating it, either."

"Of course you wouldn't, it's a subconscious reflex. It'll take conditioning to control it, if that's even possible at all," Koizumi replied.

"Sure... As long as we're here, it wouldn't hurt to go around and visit a few places," Konata said.

* * *

"Isn't that them?"

Spike squinted as he looked forward, but the pink hair was difficult to miss. On closer inspection, that Nagato girl was there too. Not surprising, Miyuki hadn't seemed all that capable on her own. It was best for her to stay with someone else. Some little kid was with them too, a boy with spiky brown hair. They were both talking to him, so he must be important... somehow. Spike didn't particularly like kids. He was reluctant even to work with those two high school girls, although they hardly seemed like typical teenagers, so maybe they were alright.

"Shall we regroup?" Alucard said. His voice was laced with intrigue, and since they hadn't found anything remotely important or at least interesting in the past couple of hours, Spike kind of shared the feeling.

"Sure. Let's go ahead." Spike dropped his cigarette, crushing it under his shoe, and walked up to them with his hands in his pockets.

Miyuki took notice immediately. "Oh, um... Spiegal-san! It's good to see you again."

He smiled a little at her impulsive courtesy. He wasn't used to being referred to like that. "Looks like you've had more luck finding clues than we have. So who's the kid?"

"You're a friend of theirs?" the boy said, looking up at Spike, then noticing Alucard strolling forward leisurely. "You all seem so peculiar... What exactly _are_ you? And that thing that we fought... Where did it come from?"

"What thing?" Spike said. "Wait, you didn't tell him about anything, did you? I mean, I guess we're not with the company anymore, but we shouldn't be going around saying anything careless - "

"This world was in severe risk of consumption by closed space created by Suzumiya Haruhi. With the help of Negi Springfield, the threat has been neutralized." The way Nagato spoke, it was as if something like that happened every day. She was a weird one.

"I'm terribly sorry that we took you away from your class," Miyuki said. "We really appreciate your help."

"The universe was actually going to be _consumed?_" Negi said, taken aback. "That sounds serious... I'm sure the headmaster will understand why I had to help, so it's really no problem." He tried to give a good-natured smile.

"Wait, hold on, the universe was going to be _what?_" Spike said, forcing his way into the conversation. "This sounds bad. What exactly happened?"

Nagato explained the events of the past few hours, occasionally answering their questions. Miyuki added a few details, explaining them to the best of her ability but often being corrected or just simply ignored.

"It would seem Suzumiya is getting to be a problem... What could make something like this happen, I wonder?" Alucard said, once all was finished. "I might be beginning to enjoy this chase."

"So you guys are going... where, exactly? Are there going to be more of these?" Negi asked. "If there's anything I can do to help..."

Nagato spoke again. "The creation of closed space is caused by certain emotional upsets by Suzumiya Haruhi. Under normal circumstances, they are infrequent, but given her currently unknown status it is difficult to predict the risk of a repeat incident."

Negi seemed to be thinking. Finally, he said, "I'm not sure about this, but... I might be able to do something for you."

* * *

"Police are on the search for possible suspects, but as of this report no leads have been found. For the time being, caution is advised when alone at night or in inclement weather until the murderer has been identified."

"The victim, seventeen year old Izumi Konata of Saitama, was a student at Ryoo High School."

The image changed to an interview with a distressed-looking high school girl with long brown hair tied into twin ponytails. She was in front of her house, a reporter's microphone held up to her. She rubbed her arm idly.

"You were a close friend of Konata, yes?"

"Yeah... She was my best friend. I just can't believe that... out of all the people, how could it be her... It doesn't seem real."

"So you don't know of any possible motive for the crime."

"Of course not. Nobody hated her enough to... to kill her..."

"There are rumors that Izumi may have been secretly involved with illegal activity, prompting the murder. Can you give us any information on that?"

"What? No... Of course not. I mean, she was always a little... I don't know, unique, I guess. But she wasn't the type to do anything dangerous like that. She was just... Just an otaku, completely harmless."

The brief interview ended, and it returned to the news room.

"Once again, we ask everyone to exercise caution until more information is found..."

The image flickered, the screen buzzed as the sound was overtaken by static. A flashing pattern of gray replaced the picture.

"Kagami-san? W-what's wrong?" Mikuru said.

Kagami was sitting in a ratty armchair in front of the flickering screen. After they had opened the door to 208 and she had seen the unmistakable layout of her own local news channel, something had come over her. Mikuru's voice had brought her rushing back to the present, back to Silent Hill.

"Huh? Oh... You saw that, didn't you? That was part of the news report... From when Konata was killed," Kagami replied, still unable to take her eyes off the now meaningless TV screen. She remembered volunteering for that interview. Tsukasa hadn't wanted to go through with it, and Konata didn't have many other close friends who could say anything about her. The final video had been cut down a lot, many of the details she had told the reporter were cut for the sake of time.

"On the TV?" Mikuru was looking at it, confused. "Nothing was on there... There wasn't any news report, or anything like that..."

* * *

"I don't usually like to do this, but I think you're headed into some dangerous situations, and there's no way to avoid them..."

Miyuki wasn't sure why, but she felt very nervous. Still, Negi seemed so nice, and he definitely seemed to know a lot about magic... "Are you sure you want to do this? I don't know if I'll be any use..."

"I can't come with you. I need to stay here, to carry out all my duties as a wizard and a teacher... But as long as I form a pactio with you, you'll have a small part of my magic power with you," he said. Maybe he was nervous about this too. The pactio system did seem like highly advanced magic from his explanation of it. At best, she could tell that it was a kind gesture, one that would be a great help, and for that sole reason she agreed to it.

Konata had used magic before, hadn't she? Was it different? Miyuki wondered if anything like this had been required, or if she'd gained those abilities through other means. The thought that a classmate of hers was able to do all these things was actually comforting, even if Konata did have those special abilities Jason had talked about.

"Almost done!"

Miyuki looked over for the source of the voice, and found it down on the ground. A white ermine was sketching out an elaborate circle filled with all manner of geometric shapes and runes. The ermine's name was Kamo-kun, and he'd greeted them upon their return to the school. At first the idea of a talking ermine had been surprising, but after seeing all those earlier displays of magic, it didn't seem terribly out of place.

"Gotta say, Aniki, you really picked a good-looking one! She'll make a good partner!" the ermine said, making some final touches on the drawing. "And... done!"

"Partner?" Negi said. "N-no, that's not exactly... I realize this is an unusual setup for a pactio, but there are quite a few unusual circumstances involved here."

"Um, Negi-kun... Are we ready? What do I have to do?" Miyuki asked.

"It's just a simple process, and you'll be able to use enhanced abilities through magic... It affects people differently, so I don't know exactly what's going to happen, but it's harmless."

"Stand right here, please!" Kamo-kun said, stepping out of his circle and directing them to take his place in the center. Negi stood on one half, and nodded towards her to come forward. She obeyed.

"Pactio!" Kamo-kun declared.

There was a flash of pink light, and the lines of the chalk drawing began to glow. It felt as though a strong wind had started to blow. The entire combined effect was intense, but Miyuki stayed planted in place, looking into Negi's determined eyes. He began to move forward, and it seemed as if he was going to...

Miyuki blushed. "You're going t-to kiss me? Um, I'm not sure - A-are we supposed to - ?"

"That's what seals the contract!" Kamo-kun insisted. "And it has to be on the lips! Like you mean it!"

"It's okay, Takara-san," Negi said, and she could realize he felt somewhat awkward as well. "You want me to transfer as much power as possible to you, right?"

She'd never kissed anyone before, let alone a ten-year-old schoolteacher, but even though it was such an odd thing to do she returned the light peck on the lips.


	29. The Last Angels' Call

"Uh, Tsukasa...? You awake...?"

She didn't remember going to sleep. She had been so exhausted she must have just passed out somewhere. It was early morning, and all around her, mostly just laying on the cold and damp grass, were other people sleeping or waking up. Everything felt kind of fuzzy like it was a dream that she was still having, but then she remembered. Tokyo, demons, alternate realities... and Konata.

"Mm... yeah," she said, stretching. Usually she couldn't wake up this easily, but after some much-needed rest she was able to notice how uncomfortable sleeping in a public park could be.

"You're awake? Good, that's everyone, then. We're moving out, we've got a lot to do today!" Kamina was a few meters away, acting like he was scouting out the area. Even Tsukasa could tell that nothing of importance was within sight, so what was he looking for?

"We're going... now?" Tsukasa said. Kamina had already started off, and Dante sauntered along behind him, keeping a good distance. Come to think of it, hadn't Kamina said he was going to stay up all night as watch? He didn't seem tired at all.

"Guess so," Kyon said. "Come on."

Pulling herself to her feet, Tsukasa hurried ahead with Kyon by her side, both trying not to get separated. Today really was the day they were supposed to die... Staying together as a group seemed the best plan. The thought of never returning home, and considering that nobody would ever know what had happened to her if she died here... Tsukasa tried to avoid those thoughts, but it was no use. They always forced their way in.

"It almost makes you wonder. Did Haruhi come up with this whole situation? I mean, demons, gateways to other worlds, it's all the kind of stuff she talked about all the time," Kyon said. They passed by a convenience store where a few men were digging through what was left, looking for anything useful. "I mean, the aliens and espers existed before, but now just about everything else is all showing up at once."

"Do you think Konata's really like that too?" Tsukasa said. "She always really liked games and stuff, I did too, but I never wanted them to be this real..."

"It's got their names all over it. Face it. Both of them are working together trying to kill us."

"N-no, Konata wouldn't... She said we'd be okay..."

But here she was, with three people who were, for the most part, strangers, and she was only really able to trust one of them. There were so many numbers hovering everywhere. Today nobody's was higher than a four. And Kyon and the others were still at zero.

There was the sound of an explosion just a block or two away. It shook the ground, and Tsukasa could even feel the vibrations inside her. Instinctively she stopped following Kamina, but he simply paused for a second and took off, tattered cape flying out behind him. Passersby were giving him even more stares, wondering why anyone would chase after a sound like that. Dante continued on as well, but in less of a rush. He gave an indifferent shrug.

"What do we do? Are we going along with this?" Kyon said. His expression seemed to say that the final decision was up to her. She knew what she wanted to do, and that was to go back to the park and see if it was possible to wait this out somewhere quiet.

Four days. No, that wasn't any good either...

"I think..." Tsukasa took a deep breath. "I think we should go with them."

* * *

Chapter 29

The Fear of the World

* * *

Konata was dead. She had been murdered during a storm nearly a year ago on her way home from work, and the killer was still unknown. It was difficult to adjust, but there was nothing to be done; she was gone.

Konata had faked her death, using some kind of magical clone that she left behind as evidence. Since then, she'd been wandering around other universes in which everything fictional became reality. And, a few days ago, had dropped in back home to save everyone from an onslaught of demons from one of those other universes. And after that, they'd found out she was God.

One of those theories, Kagami thought, seemed much more feasible than the other. But it wasn't the one that had actually _happened_... was it?

The apartment was lit only by the flickering gray light of the TV set. She was still sitting there in the armchair in front of it, long after the image had gone away. If it had ever been there at all.

"Kagami-san... Can we leave now?" Mikuru said after several moments of uneasy silence.

"Sure... I don't think there's anything here."

Just in case, they did a quick sweep of the room looking for anything of use. There was nothing of interest, just some old broken furniture. At one point, the TV made a jittering sound that could have been a voice, and Kagami quickly set her attention on it to see if anything would come back. Nothing did.

"Nevermind this," she said. "Let's go back. I don't like it here."

Mikuru seemed to agree, and they left the room with the television still buzzing its white noise behind them. The dark hallway stretched out in front of them. There was the possibility that they missed something up here, an office, or maybe the landlord had lived in one of the apartments and kept the keys in their room. The much more appealing option right now was to head to the stairs. Kagami had started experiencing a bit of a headache accompanied by a twisting feeling in her gut. The sooner they were out of here, the better.

As they came to the point where one hallway met the other in a perpendicular T-shaped corner, an old bottle went rolling across the floor on its own, in an arc right past them and coming to rest against the peeling wall. They heard the now-familiar sounds of something hacking up a cough. Mikuru shrank back behind Kagami and pressed herself up against the wall.

Approaching cautiously, but not truly scared, Kagami drew one of the guns, making sure it was loaded - of course, she chose the one with just three bullets left. No time to switch it for the other one - another one of those armless monsters was in the hallway, somehow drawn to her flashlight despite its lack of eyes. Something wet and brown dripped from what seemed to be its chin.

Being afraid of monsters seemed childish now. Kagami had seen what real-life terror was like, the fear of loss, of loneliness, isolation. Things that couldn't be killed. But this could. It wasn't really so bad, was it?

Her aim had improved quickly. The first shot went straight into its head and splattered it all over the wall behind it, something that looked kind of like especially thick and chunky maple syrup. Mikuru let out a breathless gasp. She was still terrified of the things, even if Kagami wasn't. It fell down on the floor, twitching, and she put another bullet into the chest for good measure. It stopped twitching after a few seconds.

"What are you waiting for? Everything's fine. Let's go." Kagami could see the dark shadow of the door to the stairwell up ahead.

Konata would know what to do in a situation like this. It was just like one of her games, wasn't it? Defeat the monsters, find the key to the next area. Try not to lose your mind in the process. That part was probably different. But more importantly for now, how were they going to get out of Silent Hill - clear the area, or whatever the term for it would be - and onto the next stage? Kagami could already see the news back home, the aftermath of the attacks and pictures of her and Tsukasa in the newspaper labeled as "Missing."

Something about this place just wasn't completely real. Maybe she could accept that she came from an anime, and once she got back home that's how the entire rest of her life would be. But this place? It was wrong. That was the only word for it - wrong.

Directing the light down at the steps, Kagami descended carefully. She heard Mikuru close behind her. Protecting her was the right thing to do, but in all honesty she was useless. Those other two...

They came to the bottom of the stairwell, back into the lobby with its wall of mailboxes. Nothing had been overlooked here, there wasn't anywhere to keep keys here. That door at the end of the hall sat there in the dark. It couldn't be the only way to the north end of the town, could it? Even if they had to take the long way around through the woods, braving whatever might be in there, they'd get through somehow.

How did they even know that's where they were supposed to be?

Mikuru gave voice to those thoughts. "Where are we going next? I don't want to stay here..."

The empty room still seemed oppressive. Kagami thought it over for a while longer, but she already knew the answer. "We'll just... keep looking, I guess, and see if we find them." And, although it sounded cruel, added, "If we find a way out of here... This universe, I mean... We're going to take it. It doesn't matter if we're all together or not."

"But, Kagami-san - "

"I know. But the longer we stay here, the more I feel..." _Like I'm just losing it, like I don't know who to trust, what to believe... Maybe you're not even real, maybe you're just a delusion._ "I just don't like it here. We'll leave it at that."

They turned around to leave through the front door, but there was a loud crash from behind them.

* * *

Koizumi's plan - if there was enough to it to call it one - was simply for Konata to focus in on Haruhi, and try to create a gateway to wherever she was. Jason had endorsed the plan as well, and she trusted him possibly even more than Koizumi - after all, he'd spent all that time monitoring her.

It was harder than it seemed. Konata could easily channel Haruhi's character. All of the little nuances, her interests, her physical appearance, and, of course, the voice. She often went through a similar process before starting her shifts at the cafe. The difficulty was that she had no clue what sort of universe she was actually making a door to, and could only begin to guess what Haruhi might be doing there. Had she gone on her own will, or had she been forced? Did she know what was going on? Had she been told about herself, like Konata had?

The noisy bustle of Cental City distracted her. Occasionally they'd see a blue-uniformed state alchemist, although they had yet to see any recognizable characters from the show. A few people passed by, ignoring the four of them for the most part. They were all background characters, but in this world they had names, identities, their own goals. The level of detail in these worlds was something that would never be shown in the original work, because these were fully-functioning worlds, and not everything revolved around the Elric brothers. Hell, Konata had her own anime and she never did _anything_ significant (in that version of her life, at least), yet she was still the main character.

"I don't really get what I'm supposed to be doing..." she said, although she'd already expressed that several times before. "You don't have any theories better than this?"

"All I know is that whenever you've done anything significant in the past, you've been in danger," Jason said. "Unless your life is threatened, the amount of changes you can make seems to be very limited."

Koizumi was taking in the feeling of the city. "I don't suppose we'll find many dangerous situations around here. You said you know what this world is?"

"Oh, sure," Konata said. "I guess we could get into a lot of danger if we really wanted to. I don't know, I guess look for some guy about my height with a red coat and blonde hair, and something'll be trying to kill him."

"That's an... interesting strategy," Koizumi said, nodding.

"I wasn't really serious about that," Konata said.

Sure, there was plenty of action and danger here, but she wasn't in the mood for it now. And anyways, everything seemed perfect. Peace and quiet, typical city life. Come to think of it, there was no guarantee that this was even during the series. It could be the past or the future, and all the major conflicts would be resolved.

"Any other plans?" she said, staring off into space idly.

"Beats me," Junpei said. "You and Haruhi are practically the same person, aren't you? I don't know, can you form a telepathic link or something?"

Jason nodded. "Maybe. If she really wanted to."

"Wait, seriously? I was just making a joke! She can do that?"

"Her powers are loosely defined. Anything's possible."

"I don't think it's gonna happen. I'll just focus on getting us to wherever she is..." Konata sighed. Back to the basics, talking didn't get them anywhere. It_ would_ be interesting to meet the Elrics, though. For one thing, to compare her height to Edward's. He'd always been a character she could relate to in that regard.

* * *

After the process of forming a pactio, the light had died down, although Miyuki was aware that her face was probably very red. Everything settled down, and she was left with a card featuring an illustration of herself, dressed in an elegant robe and carrying an ornately decorated staff. A large, prominent script read "Tacara Miyuki" in English lettering.

_Sceptrum Animus._

They were still waiting for the others to come back with news. Nagato had spoke of a possible new doorway appearing, although she didn't seem to think that either Konata or Haruhi had anything to do with it. The source may not matter, as long as it took them somewhere safe. This world was calm enough as long as they stayed around the school grounds and there weren't any extra dimensional spaces opening up.

"If you're ready, we can try it out," Negi said, while she was still engrossed in studying the illustration.

"Oh... Yes, that would be wonderful," she replied.

Before the process - the ceremony, if that was the correct term - he had explained the system to her in relatively simple terms. Now that a contract had been formed, she possessed some of his magic power, which would manifest itself in an artifact and a card. She had the card now; she had only to activate it. Once that was done, the artifact would appear and she would also have enhanced physical abilities.

It was very similar to a fantasy novel, as she had expected it would be, but now the thought of using magic power herself was frightening. What did it feel like once those abilities were called forth? And she was always so clumsy, what if she wasn't any good at this?

"Activate it for just ten seconds," Negi instructed her. "Usually I don't do any training like this, but I understand why you would want to. Just take it easy." Something about having a boy who was so young say that it wouldn't be a problem was comforting.

"Sim Mae Pars! Per Decem Secundās! Ministra Negiī, Tacara Miyuki!" The words came easily to her, and once the last syllable was uttered she felt the spell take hold.

The staff - the same one from the drawing on the card - appeared in her hands. She was tempted to just stare at it, wondering how something could appear out of nowhere, and admire the elaborate handiwork on it.

"It looks like your artifact will let you use magic. Can you do any spells?" Negi said.

"I don't know, umm..." Miyuki wasn't sure what to do. The feeling of power was distracting, and the idea of calling forth any kind of magic seemed dangerous. She couldn't help but be afraid that she'd accidentally do something destructive, unaware of her own ability. She hesitated.

"You'll need to do it quick - " Negi said, and the ten seconds expired. Everything returned to normal. "Too late."

"Should I reactivate it?" Miyuki asked, caution in her voice. It had gone okay. Admittedly, she hadn't done anything, but it had still been okay.

"No, that's fine... Wait a while. I think you should be able to perform simple magic, mostly healing spells," Negi explained. "I'm not sure how this would be against one of those... ah... Celestials, but it's better than nothing."

"Alright..." Miyuki found that if she racked her brain a bit, she could think of some Latin phrases, and with any luck she'd be able to use some spells.

They trained for about two more hours, taking breaks in between. During the practice Miyuki managed to use at least one curative charm, resulting in a radiant green glow that Negi claimed would heal minor injuries - if either of them had any, which they didn't at the moment. Miyuki was reminded of how Konata had healed Tsukasa back when they had first seen her. The thought of the impact this could have on the medical field in the real world... Would it be ethical? Magic wasn't accepted by most people back home, but if she did have this power...

Things could never go back to normal, not after an experience like this.

"How's it going, Miyuki?"

She turned around to see Spike standing there. "Oh, Spiegel-san, hello. Everything's fine here."

"Good... 'Cause one of those doors just appeared again," he said.

"You mean..." That was a good thing, wasn't it? It seemed as if everything that needed to be done in this world had been completed, so it should be time to move on. Still, the thought of what could happen next was frightening.

"Yeah, looks like it's time for us to move out. Don't you wonder what Konata has planned for us next?" he said. By his tone, it was apparent that he really wasn't that enthusiastic about it.

"So Konata can alter things here too? I suppose that's a good thing..."

"Nagato was saying... something... about that, I didn't get most of it. The source _may or may not_ be Konata. It _may or may not_ lead us to Haruhi, although I could really care less as long as it's safe. And walking through it _may or may not_ spell certain death for us."

"I see..."

Miyuki turned the card over in her hand, a nervous gesture. The pink-haired illustration of her - actually, that was what she looked like, so was this an illustration or a photo? - was holding the magic staff confidently, and it made her feel like maybe she could do something useful next time they were in a difficult situation. She'd never been a person of action, she'd always absorbed information and never applied it... But she was capable of doing something useful, and while the card affirmed that fact, maybe it had been the truth all along.

"So? Are we going?" Spike said.

"Of course... Let's move on."

* * *

"That's you guys, isn't it?"

Ever since her first impression of the girl back at Comiket, such a long time ago, Kagami never thought she would actually be happy to hear Rei's voice. The locked door had been hacked to pieces with that lightsaber thing she had carried.

"What are you doing here?" Kagami said. Honestly, though, she didn't know what she was doing in this place herself.

"I heard gunshots, are you two alright?" Now she saw Joshua too, his red hair easily visible. That was all four of them.

"Yeah, we're..." Kagami wasn't quite sure if she was telling the truth here. "We're fine."

"H-how did you find us?" Mikuru said.

"We were all over the place looking for you. Once I found Joshua, I figured the two of you must be around here somewhere... Crazy place, isn't it? I'm amazed you guys managed to survive," Rei said.

"Thanks for believing in us," Kagami said dryly, but deep down she was hugely relieved. It at least seemed like this was really happening. She wanted to believe that it was.

"I don't suppose the two of you have found a way out of here, have you?" Joshua said. "We found a road leading out of town back a ways, but it just dropped off into a cliff. Really odd."

"I'd rather just get out of this world entirely. Isn't there some way to do that?" Kagami said.

Rei held up her phone. Same kind that Konata used to have. Of course. "Still no service from the guys back at Eclipse. Other than that, I've got no clue." She slid it back into her pocket. "So you guys were at the other end of town, eh? Anything interesting? I want to check it out."

"Really..." Kagami had a hard time believing that anyone would want to see more of a place like this. Then again, there was something about this building she didn't like. The television upstairs might have something to do with it.

From upstairs, something large and heavy could be heard being dragged. A metallic scraping sound, in short rhythmic bursts. Something walking around. Everyone heard it, and listened to it speechlessly for a few seconds. Seeing three other people react to it was good, Kagami decided, it confirmed that it wasn't her imagination.

"Want to go see who's up there?" Rei suggested.

"What... the _hell_ is wrong with you?" Kagami said, nearly dumbstruck by the very idea. "The four of us are all here now. We're getting out of here."

Joshua nodded. "That's probably the best plan. Let's go look outside, shall we? It's a bit lighter out there."

Despite the lack of any real sunlight, leaving the apartments and stepping outside onto the street was almost a blinding transition. Kagami could see everyone much more clearly now. Anything more than five feet away was swallowed up by the fog.

"So where to next?" Rei said, like a kid on a field trip.

"I think we came from... that way?" Mikuru said. She raised an arm in a weak pointing motion, but lowered it. "No... Kagami-san, wasn't it..." She squinted, as if that would help her see through the fog.

"I'm pretty sure it was over there," Kagami said, pointing to the right. "I guess we'll go the other way."

They left the apartments behind them. It seemed like the sirens could come back a third time at any moment, and throw them all in different directions yet again, ensuring none of them would ever get out. The thought of going back home - or even of being in any place more pleasant than this - just seemed like an impossible dream. This wasn't a place that you could just walk away from.

"Hey, there's a Chinese restaurant. Think anyone's home?" Rei said.

"Do you really think anyone would be? This place is completely deserted." Kagami still glanced up at the sign, which named the cheap-looking establishment the Lucky Jade Restaurant. "Wait a sec, didn't we pass that before?"

Mikuru looked up at it, her head tilted to the side. "I can't remember."

"No, I'm almost sure..."

Suddenly, they heard Joshua's voice. It came from somewhere in the fog, he couldn't be seen. "Hey, come check this out!"

Kagami tried to follow his voice. "Where are y- " She nearly ran into him, he was closer than expected.

A wooden door stood there, ironically in the middle of the street. How strangely familiar.

"Is that...? You found the way out?" Rei said. She ran up to it, circled around it with a look of fascination on her face. "It's just like the other one! I think this is the way out!"

"Are you... sure...?" Kagami said. The whole thing seemed too good to be true, it couldn't possibly be happening. It was like the phone call. The news report. She was still on her own, wasn't she? She was alone and all the other people and this door were her imagination going crazy.

Rei had already opened the door, and the blackness inside seemed to call to her. "You wouldn't seriously turn this down, would you? Konata came through, we've got our way out. Let's go!" Before any further argument was possible, she had stepped through and was gone.

"I guess... you're right," Kagami said. She watched Joshua go through, and saw Mikuru give her a look as if asking for confirmation. "Let's go," Kagami told her.

She stepped through the gateway.

* * *

There was a train station, one Tsukasa thought she might have recognized, or at least she knew its counterpart in the real world. This one was blasted apart, apparently the site of the explosion from before. Waiting by the center of the blast was a figure, about six feet tall and hovering just above the ground. Red bat wings on either side of its faceless black head.

Kamina had already engaged it in a very one-sided shouting match.

"So you're the one who's going to try to kill us, eh? Well, I'm sorry to say that's simply not going to happen! There's no way something as ugly as _you_ is going to stop us here!"

"Are you... serious..." Kyon muttered. "We could have avoided this. The only reason we're supposed to die right now is because that idiot ran straight in here and pissed it off!"

"Why the hell aren't you saying anything? Are you that much of a coward?" Kamina shouted.

The black thing flapped its wings silently, its head pointing at them. Other than the beating of its wings, it was motionless. Tsukasa noticed its hands and feet, misshapen things at the ends of its limbs that just seemed to have a single long finger and a thumb... like claws, impatiently waiting to rip into something.

She also noticed, back behind it, a door stood. Just a plain, wooden door... with no frame around it. Like the ones that had brought them into this world. It was the way out, but how would they get to it?

"Tsukasa!" Suddenly Kamina's booming voice was directed at her. "Fire up that... thing you found! We're taking this bastard down!"

"Huh? Oh... Y-yeah." The COMP. It was still in her pocket... wasn't it? For a moment she couldn't find it, and she lapsed into a panic before feeling it in her other pocket. She could barely keep her hands still as she booted it up.

"Hurry up with that, won't you?" Dante said. He was about midway between where they were and where Kamina was having his standoff. A cautious distance. "I don't like the looks of this thing... Reminds me of my brother, somehow."

How did she summon the demons, again? Right now she actually wanted to have them standing between her and that monster. It hadn't made any movements yet, but that somehow made it worse. It was sizing them up, wasn't it? Deciding how it would kill each of them... Tsukasa starting working faster, desperately trying to remember the instructions, and that was when the bright flash of blinding, glorious light appeared.

"In the name of God, you are commanded to leave this place or face divine wrath." The voice was coming from behind them. Tsukasa turned around, somehow comforted by the sound. It didn't seem to be speaking against her...

Another winged figure was there, feathered wings instead of leathery ones. It was more human than the other, and it was armored. Its right hand held a long spear, the left held a shield.

"Sons of Man, you defy the will of the Lord. Retreat at once." As it spoke, although the target of its words was unclear, more of them were descending around the first.

"Angels?" Kyon said, going on incoherently. "I never thought they existed... I guess they say that demons existing would prove that angels must exist, but... This is unbelievable..."

"Great, we've got backup! Did you invite them, Tsukasa?" Kamina yelled over to her. He was completely unfazed by the development.

"Umm, I - " Tsukasa gasped as she saw more demons appearing, a full battalion to defend this crucial location against the angels.

"Doesn't this just keep getting better?" Dante said. "Don't you realize? The angels are with the government. They're defending the barrier. This is the edge of the lockdown, and they're trying to keep everyone in. Absolutely _great._"

Light started forming around him, and in a split second lightning came down at the same time that he jumped out of the way. The angels didn't just want the demons gone, they wanted to clear the entire area, including eliminating the humans. Strange, Tsukasa had always thought that they would be more peaceful. This wasn't what she needed right now.

"N-no, please don't!" Tsukasa said, realizing how feeble she sounded. "We're... not trying to leave, we're just..." That was a lie, the door was right behind that huge and terrifying demon and she wanted to get to it more than anything else right now.

"You hate these demons just as much as we do, don't you?" Kamina said, raising his sword in a pointing gesture. "How about we make a deal? We won't try to escape, as long as you help us survive. Got it?"

"Can you really - " Kyon started to say.

"Very well." Incredibly, the angel seemed to be agreeing with Kamina. "Faithful servants of the Lord shall be rewarded."

_What are we really doing?_ Tsukasa wondered. Obviously Kamina knew about the door, he had to notice it back there, but how would they get past? It wouldn't be right if they turned against the angels, they were supposed to be good, weren't they?

"I guess I've never been very religious, especially after finding out about Haruhi..." Kyon was saying. "Do you think that's what we are to them? Konata too, I suppose. We're the ones carrying out their orders..."

Surrounded on both sides, able to see the way out just ahead, Tsukasa realized she would have to do the one thing she never thought she would, or even could, do. Stand and fight.


	30. Don't Dream It's Over

When nightfall came, finding a place to stay was actually somewhat difficult.

Primarily, the issue was about currency. Konata couldn't remember what kind of money they used in this world, and even if she had, they simply didn't have any. Going out and finding spare change on the street was out of the question. The idea of sleeping outside when they were in a city rather than out in the wilderness was quite simply unappealing. So, remembering how they'd been able to pay for the food in Tull, she tried offering the hotel owners some gold instead of money. A few places hadn't been willing to accept it - surprisingly - but they finally came to an establishment where they verified that it was, in fact, real gold coins and accepted them for the night.

That would do for the three guys, Konata figured as she walked the streets alone. But she couldn't sleep, so she decided to take a walk.

Her thoughts were clearer out here. Maybe over the past two years she'd just grown to enjoy walking around town at about midnight, but the stillness was good. It made it seem like there was less pressure on her, even though this was such a mess...

Kagami, Tsukasa, and Miyuki. They were all still out there somewhere, and she'd eventually need to get them back. Of course, one of them was probably back home by now, which made it a little easier, but the other two would still be out in parts unknown.

But first was the problem of Haruhi. Thinking of her gave Konata a twisting, restless feeling like something needed to be done immediately, but there was nothing that could be done. Koizumi was still carrying the light novel they had found at the waystation. That was their only clue.

She turned around the corner of the sidewalk, the only figure on the bleak and empty streets. Going over the details of how she arrived in Haruhi's world in the first place. When she really thought about it... It all fit together exactly how Jason said it did. Konata was the only one who would have brought them to that world. And could she just ignore everything that happened since then?

It was then she saw the large, official-looking building in front of her with the flight of marble steps and pillars in front of the doors. It only took a moment to recognize the library, and this building in particular was the First Branch - the same one that had burned down early on in the series. Which meant...

"We're probably right in the middle of things," Konata muttered to herself. An interesting thought. As long as she was going to be a part of the Fullmetal Alchemist world, it might as well be at an interesting time.

Deep down she really wanted to stick around in this world, just to see the sights for a little while. It still excited her when she was in one of these worlds that she knew everything about, because she'd always find that there was more to discover about them and it was all infinitely more interesting than the world she had been born in.

That library held all sorts of secrets about the study of alchemy. Things like transmutation were accepted as a legitimate form of science here without debate. Which, Konata thought, was far more preferable than regular science back home.

At this hour, there would be nobody inside. There wasn't any reason for her to check it out, it was all just books that she didn't really need to look at. The idea was interesting, but not so much that she needed to go inside. She was about to turn away and see what else she could find when she noticed a light in one of the top windows. Not a stationary light in one of the rooms, but one that was moving, as somebody was searching for something. Candlelight, which was a fire hazard. Especially if a fight was going to break out.

And if it was late at night...

Considering the possible consequences of stepping into the scene from the anime that she was almost positive was going on right now, Konata finally decided that she _did _in fact feel a need to go meddle in things that didn't necessarily concern her. She crossed the street and tried the door, noticing that the lock had been smashed open. Yes, it did seem as if...

What was the name of the book she was looking for, again?

* * *

Chapter 30

A Wall Between Us

* * *

This world was...

"No... It can't be..." Kagami said.

Maybe except for the lack of fog, this world seemed nearly identical to the last one. Empty streets, abandoned buildings, and most importantly, no people. As she looked around, she noticed that her hair was its regular color again. Maybe that was a step up from the last world... But she was not in the mood for a repeat performance.

"This again? How boring," Rei said.

Kagami wished she could call it that. Boring was fine. She _wanted_ boring.

"So what do we do now?" Kagami said. She shifted her arm, pushing the strap of the duffel bag back up securely onto her shoulder. "Do we just wait for those sirens to come back on and repeat the whole process?"

"This can't really be the same place, can it?" Joshua said. "I mean, there are tons of worlds that look like yours out there. We're definitely in a different one."

"Yeah, I guess you've been doing this longer..." Rei said. She brightened. "So how about we look around? Maybe there's something useful here."

Kagami stretched. She looked up at the clouds, since they were able to see the sky clearly. It was actually just mildly overcast, nowhere near as thick of a grey layer as Silent Hill had been. They all seemed to be moving in one direction, and she traced the path with her eyes. Following it down towards the ground, it seemed to go right along with the street they were on.

"Maybe we should start heading this way..." she said offhandedly.

"Uh... okay, then!" Rei said. "That's as good a plan as any."

"We're staying all together this time?" Mikuru asked.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan," Kagami said. "I'd really prefer not getting lost again."

In the past day she'd grown accustomed to utter silence, such as that of the town they were now in. Had it really only been a day? Finding herself in the hospital shortly after arriving in that world seemed like weeks ago. And standing in her bedroom, talking with her mother about what to pack for the move to Nagoya, not realizing what was _really_ in store for her future... That seemed like it was a different lifetime. But it had most likely only been four or five days.

"Welcome to Topeka," Rei announced suddenly.

"What?" Mikuru said.

"The station. We're in Topeka, Kansas, in says." Rei pointed out the building to their left. A huge train station, nothing like the modern ones Kagami was used to using in Tokyo. This one was across from an overgrown jungle of a city park that hadn't been mowed in ages.

"A train station, right?" Joshua said. "That's probably the way out of town, if I'm correct."

"I doubt it's still being used. Just look at it." Kagami was referring to the broken windows, the illegible graffiti scrawled on the bricks, and tattered American flags still hanging on at half-mast in front of the building.

"We'll check it out anyway," Rei said, and was already on her way inside.

"Wait, not so fast. What if it's like the other places?" Kagami said, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

Rei looked at her with a carefree grin on her face. "I don't see any fog, and nothing's tried to kill us yet. Can't you just be happy that this place is normal?"

If "normal" could be used to describe what was inside. The inside of the building echoed, and dust was floating in the sunlight that filtered down through cracks in the ceiling. At one time, this station would have been packed with travelers but now only contained four visitors... and two dead bodies seated on a bench that looked as if they'd been there forever.

"W-We need to get out of here," Mikuru said, not taking her eyes off the bodies. They were dry, and had been naturally mummified, the eyes squinting at them. How did people die in a place like this? And why would they just be left there?

"Relax, it's not like they're going to start moving or anything," Rei said.

"I don't get it," Joshua said. "Either of you have any idea what happened here? I mean, this isn't what these kinds of places are usually like."

Something glinted by the point where the wall met the floor. Kagami broke away from the group momentarily to see what it was. A car key, although she didn't recognize the logo of the manufacturer, along with a red rubber keychain with the words "Nozz-A-La" printed on it in a fancy English script.

"What's that?" Rei's voice suddenly behind her nearly made Kagami jump away in surprise. A smile came to her face. "Whoa, someone's old keys? We could totally use that! Nice find!"

"You're saying we're just going to find the car these go to? Do you realize how hard that would be?"

Rei shook her head. "Ye of little faith. We were meant to find those keys, and we're going to find the car, too. It's fate."

"I don't believe in fate."

"Well, tough. Any idea what kind of car it's for? I don't recognize it..."

"Hey, did you guys see this? Get over here!" Joshua was calling them over. He stood in the doorway leading out onto the platform, right in front of the tracks.

They found Mikuru there with him, obediently following him and trying not to get lost. They were standing by a blue metal box, one of those newspaper dispensers. Those seemed to be invented for interdimensional tourists, weren't they?

"What is it?" Kagami said, stepping over to take a better look at the paper inside. She didn't have any American money to pay for it, but wiping off the thick brown layer of dust let her see the front page of the Topeka Capital-Journal through the window. She crouched down to see what it said.

_"CAPTAIN TRIPS" SUPERFLU RAGES UNCHECKED,_ huge block letters declared, taking up half the page. Below it, in slightly smaller type, it continued to say, _Govt. Leaders May Have Fled County, Topeka Hospitals Jammed With Sick, Dying, Millions Pray For Cure._

"Everyone here..." Mikuru started to say.

"They all died from some kind of virus..." Kagami finished. She didn't need to read any more. The empty town and corpses in the station told the rest of the story better than any news story could have. "Wait, this thing isn't still in the air, is it?"

"Just tell me if you start to get a cough," Rei said.

"It's not funny." Kagami picked away at some dirt caked into the corner of the window, revealing the date of publication. "This all happened in 1985, it says."

"But... Nothing like that ever happened..." Mikuru said. The expression of fear on her face was truly pitiful. "That's even before... um... What year is it now?"

"It's impossible to tell, unless someone shows up and tells us," Joshua answered. "Judging by the state of those bodies, it could've been over a decade ago that all that happened."

Kagami realized she was still holding the keyring they'd found. What good was it trying to go anywhere, if the country had been struck with a plague like this? There was always a slim chance that someone might have survived, but it wasn't likely given the current state of Topeka. Nobody had bothered cleaning this place up.

Rei seemed to be considering the same options, but chose a different solution. "So let's get going already! It's obvious there's nothing here." She had already headed off back into the inside of the station.

Giving a final glance to the deserted train tracks, Kagami wondered if anything would ever travel on them again. She followed Rei back inside, giving a more suspicious look at the two people on the bench. What had it been like, contracting a flu while the hospitals filled up with people who just weren't getting any better? Imagining that kind of a situation was disturbing, and she tried to push it away. Focus on matching this logo on the key with one on a vehicle, and with any luck getting away from this place.

They continued out the door, passing by the flagpoles again and the city park across the street. Rei stopped, and turned around to look at the others who had been following.

"Alright. Where do we go?"

"Hm? I thought you had some sort of plan..." Joshua said.

"I did, too. It's a big town, I didn't realize that. Where do we even start?"

The clouds were still following the path down the street. They had thinned out and let some more sun shine in, making it pleasantly warm. A rusted street sign was tilted to the side, the same direction as the clouds and everything else. It pointed the way to their destination, everything was moving in towards some central point.

"This way," Kagami said. "Don't you notice how everything's kind of...?"

Joshua shrugged. "I'm not sure what you mean, but fine. You just have a feeling or something?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess that's what you'd call it, yeah."

"Fine by me."

They were coming into the center of town, and one of the first things Kagami noticed was a green pickup truck with a body slumped down over the steering wheel. It had probably been in there, baking over countless summers. There were more cars parked along the side of the street, most of them empty, but none of them matched the key. It was a crazy idea, they'd just find what car this went to and take it?

"Uh... Rei, did you even check the parking lot back there?" Kagami said.

"I... kind of did a quick sweep, I didn't see anything." Rei wasn't looking at her.

"What? I thought you were - We need to - " Before she could say "go back," she considered the idea that they'd be going against the flow, away from where they were headed. But no, there wasn't anything guaranteed to be up ahead just because the clouds moved that way, was there?

"Can I see it again?" Joshua said. She nodded, handed the key over to him, and he inspected it. "What exactly are we looking for? I'm not much good with these things..."

"That logo on the head is probably going to be on one of the cars, but I haven't seen it yet... Probably on the front or back, see?" Kagami explained. She gestured to the other cars, ones that had symbols on them that she recognized. None of them matched the key. It must be a rare brand, like some sort of expensive luxury vehicle or something.

The street seemed to go on forever, cars placed intermittently along either side. Just about all of them were from manufacturers she'd heard of, and they were just like cars she might see driving along back home. Some of them were at parking meters. No tickets on the hoods, Kagami noticed. Though they must be years over the time limit.

"Are we sure this is even a real key?" Kagami said after a long silence. She was beginning to have serious doubts.

"It looked like it, at least..." Rei said absently. Something caught her attention. "What's that white one, up there?"

"It's..." Kagami looked around for the model name on the back. "It's a Spirit. Wait, that logo... Isn't it?"

She'd never heard of a car called a Spirit before, just like she'd never seen the manufacturer from the key before. The red Nozz-A-La keychain hung down, and she realized how much it resembled Coca-Cola. So this was what they meant by alternate universes, wasn't it? Everything was just slightly off from the way the real world was, unless you counted the huge difference of the superflu.

"Can I see that? Thanks!" Rei yanked the key out of Kagami's hands while she was lost in thought, and jammed it into the driver's side lock. It didn't work, so she frowned, and turned it over. It slid in cleanly. "Alright! We've got it!" She opened the door.

"I don't believe it. That actually worked," Kagami said, her eyes wide.

"Good. Who's driving?" Joshua said.

"You're the adult. Can't you do it?"

"Heh. I have no idea how these work. What about you? Rei, Mikuru?" He eyed the others.

"Um... I don't know either... I'm sorry..." Mikuru said.

"That's fine, I wouldn't want you to suffer a breakdown while behind the wheel anyway..." Rei said, ignoring Mikuru's reaction. "I figured Kagami could do it, right?"

"You can't be serious... I haven't..." Kagami had never driven a car, but maybe she could figure it out by common sense. But really, couldn't someone else do it?

"It can't be that hard, right?" Rei said. "Go ahead." She held out her arm, inviting Kagami to take the driver's seat.

Kagami threw her heavy bag into the seat, but didn't get in. "Fine... But we need to fill it up with gas. And the battery's probably dead. Now I'd like to see what we're going to do about that." She looked at her bag, which had landed printed-side up. NOTHING BUT STRIKES AT MID-WORLD LANES.

Rei had lifted up the hood, and was searching for something in the mess of metal boxes, tubes and fluid tanks. Kagami watched her for a moment, then realized she must be trying to find the battery.

"Here it is," she said, and placed her hand right on it. A burst of lightning shot out - magic, Kagami remembered, of course she knows magic, just like Konata - and for a moment the car's lights flashed on a bright white before fading back off. "That should work for a while... I think there was a gas station down the street. Let's go check it out."

"This... You... There is absolutely _no_ logic as far as you're concerned, is there?" Kagami said.

* * *

They had said their farewell to Negi, and stepped through the door into the new world. Miyuki noticed her hand constantly reaching into her pocket to feel the card inside. It had become like a good luck charm of sorts, although it was more than that. Hopefully she would still be able to use it even without Negi there. He had said she would be able to, but magic was still so new to her, having a teacher there was the only way to confirm she was doing everything correctly.

It looked much as she had feared an alternate reality could look.

The wastelands stretched out around them, cracked dirt and sand devoid of any healthy plant life. In the distance, the ruins of a large city jutted out from the flat horizon like a row of rotted teeth. Nothing else could be seen in any direction, just that one city. Modern skyscrapers looking like they had been abandoned for thousands of years... And a strange thumping noise could be heard, maybe coming from the city, maybe somewhere else.

"It sounds like a good beat," Spike commented. "Actually, it almost sounds familiar."

This was what should have looked normal. Three dimensions, no strange hair colors. But in a world like this, Miyuki almost missed the cute animated style. Maybe the past few days had gotten her used to it.

"This world is corrupted," Nagato said cryptically.

"Corrupted?" Miyuki repeated, gazing across the landscape at those sad buildings.

"Regardless, it would sound as if there are people living in that city," Alucard said. He had pulled his goggles down in the sunlight. "Unless they left the music on for the past couple of centuries, of course."

Spike was humming a tune, then grimaced, and tried another one. "I know I've heard this somewhere." He fumbled in his pockets and took out a cigarette and a lighter, and Miyuki tried to get away from the smell, just gradually increasing her distance so she wouldn't seem too rude. It was a terrible habit, regardless.

They started to hike across the wasteland towards the city, the drum beats growing consistently louder. If not for the recognizable sound of modern equipment and a rock pattern, it would have sounded tribal. But this wasn't some native village, it was what was left of a city much like her own hometown. Miyuki started to remember those last few minutes she had spent in Tokyo. After all that had happened there, maybe that's what the city in her world looked like. But no... Konata had somehow repaired everything, according to that Ayanami girl's account.

"I've got it," Spike suddenly announced. "Man, this is an old one..."

"You remember the song?" Miyuki asked.

"Yeah, it's a real oldie. Released early a century ago, I think. Ever heard of 'Velcro Fly,' ZZ Top?" he said.

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar..."

"Nevermind. It's just the drum part, none of the guitar or vocals, but I'm almost positive that's what it is."

"How interesting..." Miyuki said. Nearly a century old? That would place it in... the turn of the century? No, she had almost forgotten. Spike was from far in the future.

The drums never stopped, never took a break. It was a fast-paced pounding, nearly maddening, and as they approached what appeared to be an old bridge crossing a chasm into the city Miyuki noticed her hand sliding once again into her pocket, searching for Negi's card.

* * *

She'd been to countless different instances of space and time, and seen some pretty strange things along the way, but the library was probably the one place Konata was not used to being in. In fact, next to school, a library was probably among Konata's least favorite places to be. Circumstances were different, and she had come inside on her own will, but the entire feeling of the place was uncomfortably stiff and intellectual.

There seemed to be nothing but shelves of books. Many of them were old, leather-bound hardcovers of considerable thickness, with titles in faded gold lettering. She took one off the shelf at random, and opened it up. Nothing but words, small print and a large vocabulary. She sighed and placed it back. She didn't even know how to start looking for that book that Edward was going to need...

Although she couldn't hear what was being said, there was the unmistakable murmur of voices from one of the upper floors. That meant that more than one person was here, which, if her memory served her correctly, meant that there was very little time to work.

How were these books even organized in the first place? It didn't seem to make any sense. She started down one row, impatiently scanning the titles.

Her footsteps seemed loud in the quiet library. The voices were still conversing upstairs, but nothing was happening yet. She continued down another row, reading author's names, titles, subjects, trying to make sense of the huge collection. Each shelf was packed more books than anyone could read in a lifetime. Konata doubted she could even plod through one of these books in a lifetime, but that was beside the point.

Her hand ran over the spines, still not seeing anything relevant in the titles. Konata was so focused on them that she didn't even notice when she ran straight into a ladder, sending it clattering to the floor. Konata held her breath, certain that they must have heard her...

Red light filled the building, coming from another room up above. Obviously they had their own problems to deal with. This was it, the library was going to be burned completely to ashes within less than an hour, most likely. Maybe trying to find Dr. Marcoh's book was a useless pursuit, they'd get by without it, they had in the original series -

Regardless, Konata continued looking, even as the sounds of fighting increased in volume above her and the red flash gave way to an orange glow of flame. There were the sounds of shelves being blasted apart, and clouds of dust filled the air. The sounds moved just a few shelves down from where she was. They were right there.

"Come on..." Konata started to move faster, even less carefully than before.

Her exact memory of this episode wasn't perfect. She couldn't even remember the exact title of the book, except that it was about the exact process of creating a Philosopher's Stone. The Elrics needed to have that information, and she was going to be the one to give it to them if this building didn't collapse before she could find the right book. But it hadn't been labelled as being about alchemy, it had been disguised as -

There was a loud crack above her as the supporting structure of the building collapsed. It shook the foundations of the library, books fell off the shelves into heaps on the floor. There was no way to find anything in here anymore, it was impossible. And then it hit her- directly on the head, and she let out a small grunt of pain and her hand shot up to where it was still throbbing with pain.

She looked at the book that had done it, sitting on top of the piles of other volumes. _Tim Marcoh's 1000 Recipes For Making Magic In The Kitchen._

Or, in other words, cleverly encoded research notes for accomplishing something much more like real magic. She remembered this part now.

"Of course..." she said, smiling a bit. She'd wanted to find it, so here it was. She picked it up off the floor and held it close, now realizing just how far the flames had spread. Maybe it would have been a better idea to find Scar and Lust instead, and prevent them from destroying the Library in the first place. But she had the book, this was the only one that truly mattered, and she was getting out of here.

Konata ran past the shelves, hearing more disheartening cracking sounds up above. The smoke was becoming thick, but realizing that maybe that would help her to get out unseen -

As she left the library behind and came back out onto the street, Marcoh's notes in hand, her sense of accomplishment fell short at the sight of a few state alchemists who had been aroused by the commotion and now stood pointing pistols at the extremely suspicious girl who had just stepped out of the torched First Branch.

* * *

Surrounding Tsukasa and Kyon were three demons, who looked much scarier in person than they had on the small screen of the COMP. Behind where she stood were the angels, but Tsukasa wasn't focusing on them - her eyes were fixed on the enemies in between herself and the door to the next world. It was all starting to seem like a really bad idea. She didn't know much about commanding the few demons she had, and the leader of the enemy horde was so powerful... Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos...

How did she suddenly know that?

She turned that question over a few times as everything was still, everyone waiting for someone else to strike first. She looked at her demons. Cerberus, kind of like a white lion with a snake's tail... Seiryu, that was one she regretted getting, it was a huge Chinese dragon with a long snakelike body, a real one, not like the kind in a parade or something... And Tlaloc, who had looked kind of silly in that stone mask in the picture, but really was kind of scary, like a deranged blue monkey or something... But the moment of stillness didn't last long, because apparently Kamina got bored.

"What are you waiting for? Let's get it started!" he yelled suddenly, spinning around with his katana drawn and attacking a demon that was several meters behind him.

It fell, but as it did, the entire battlefield was set into motion.

Everything was a blur. She could see the red shape of Dante's coat and the silver glint of his blade as he took on demons five at a time. The angels were flying forward, striking with both lighting and spears. Kamina had just about vanished in all of it, but they could still hear him, at least. Every once in a while a glimpse of his spiky blue hair or tattered red cape would be visible. He was moving fast.

A few demons tried to come straight at her, but Cerberus leaped at them, tearing them apart with his fangs. Tsukasa jumped back, reminding herself that this vicious thing was _protecting_ her. Seiryu flew around above, blasting down lightning bolts that seemed to be striking dangerously close.

"We're heading straight for the door. You see where it is?" Kyon shouted, attempting to keep his voice above the din of battle.

Tsukasa nodded, watching one of her demons shoot a burst of ice at one of the enemies... It was all happening so fast, it was hard to tell which ones were good and which ones weren't.

"We're going to make a run for it. Once we get there, we're going straight through. We're not waiting for the others, they can make it on their own. Got it?" He was breathing heavily, probably as scared as she was, but at least able to keep his head.

"But... We don't know what's in there..." Tsukasa said.

She heard Dante saying something, far off in the distance, then a burst of rapid gunfire.

"It doesn't matter. You want out, right?" Kyon said.

There was a break in the mess of fighting as the angels repelled the demons back, momentarily clearing a path. Tsukasa heard Kyon tell her to run, and, although she didn't think she would be able to, she did. Cerberus turned its head towards where she was going, and ran alongside her. It was almost like having a huge, mythological guard dog.

Tsukasa's head was directed at the ground, just focusing on where her feet were going. She knew the general direction of the door.

"Hey! Where are you two headed?" Dante said. They had come right to where he was standing, still fighting off some sort of humanoid figure with a horse's head as he talked to them.

"We're making a run for it," Kyon said. "Look, it's really not important if we win this battle - "

"I get it. Just go, I'll hold them for you. You sure the angels don't notice that you're trying to escape?"

That was right - the angels had said not to try to leave the city, and the door was right in front of the barricade. If they were headed that way, it would look like they were headed out, and then what would happen? Tsukasa looked around, but the angels seemed preoccupied with the demons.

"That's why we're running," Kyon said. "I don't think they notice."

"Then _hurry,_ damn it."

Tsukasa didn't need to be told. There was a burst of flame coming from somewhere - a magic attack, demons could do those, she remembered - and Cerberus turned its attention in the direction it came from. She couldn't tell which demon had attacked, but Cerberus went after all of them. It was leaving her, and Tsukasa found she didn't want to move forward if it wasn't there, but it quickly returned to defend her.

"Please don't do that, just keep on defending me... alright?" she said, not sure if it comprehended. But - surprisingly - it nodded. "Um, okay..."

"It's just up ahead," Kyon said. "Are you ready?"

She held the COMP close to her, it would have been impossible to pry her fingers off it. They just had to dash a few meters ahead. She looked to the side, and saw Kamina fighting head-to-head against Nyarlathotep, sword against claws. She was worried about him, he was like their leader. But the door to safety was right ahead, and she found she was still more concerned about that.

"L-Let's go," she said. The demons seemed to be moving in on Kamina, defending their own leader. Shouldn't they be backing him up? Her own demons were pretty powerful, they could help him... But she didn't want to risk it.

Kyon took a look back, making sure the angels weren't looking. "Right. We're out of here."

He started running, and Tsukasa followed up behind him, trying not to trip as she summoned the demons back into the device. They vanished into red pixellated clouds. Kyon thrust open the door, and they dashed blindly into the darkness as she felt the heat of a lightning bolt strike right behind them.


	31. See Who I Am

"Should we really leave this town? How do we know we're not supposed to do something here?" Mikuru stood at a distance as she watched as Rei tried to operate the gas pump. They were at an Amoco station a few blocks away from the Spirit, stocking up on fuel. Or at least, they would be.

"Stupid thing won't even work..." Rei grumbled. She had the nozzle inserted into an empty red canister they had found, and was squeezing the trigger, but nothing came out. "Do we need to pay for it first or something? How do these old pumps work, anyway?"

"Maybe the power doesn't work, something like that," Kagami suggested. "It's insane to even take that old thing out on the road, anyway. And I've never been taught how to drive."

"I'm sure it won't be too hard. And I'll be your copilot," Rei said.

Joshua spoke up. "You know, Mikuru has a point, _why_ are we heading out there again?"

There was a reason, but what was it? An empty beer bottle rolled down the street slowly. Kagami watched the direction it was going, and in a few seconds it slowed and came to rest. But the direction... It wasn't just a coincidence.

"Kagami's got a feeling about it or something," Rei said. "Any reason behind that? You never struck me as the type to go off on a hunch before now."

"Weren't you the one saying it was 'fate' that let us find a way to drive out of here?" Kagami said. "I don't know, it's just..."

"Maybe we'll find Haruhi and we can get out of here," Rei offered. "She's using her mind powers to draw us in, or something."

"I don't think she can do that..." Mikuru said. "I mean, I'm not really sure what she _can_ do... Do you really think she's in this world?"

"Who knows? I'd just like to get back home, actually. I wasn't planning on being gone for more than a couple hours. I'm sure Shinji's wondering about me." Rei gave up on the gas pump and dropped the empty can, making a hollow sound as it hit the ground. "Hmm..."

Setting her sights on the convenience store, she headed inside without saying anything. Kagami stayed outside, standing with her arms crossed and staring up at the sky. The world was quiet. She was beginning to miss being back home with all the background noise confirming the presence of living people outside and all over. Some kind of disease had made this world like this, a superflu or a virus of some kind that just wiped out everything.

There was a flapping noise, and a large black bird perched on one of the gas pumps a few meters away. Not everything had been killed, then, but this was probably the first animal they'd seen in a long time. Mikuru was watching it like it could attack at any moment, but it simply stared back at her, as if it were curious. Joshua had a slight grin.

"Found... something..." Rei called from inside, and the bird turned its head sharply at the sound of her voice. She came out lugging a heavy plastic tank. "They were in a back room, labelled 'emergency.' There's a few more, can you give me a hand with this?"

They took one can of gas each, which would be several liters. Most likely enough to get them pretty far, but Kagami didn't know anything about the Takuro auto company's fuel efficiency. _Oh well,_ she decided as she lugged her can back through the empty streets. _If it really is destiny or whatever, or Konata pulling the strings, then it'll be enough._

Even so, that wasn't enough to convince her.

The Spirit was waiting patiently where they had left it. They emptied as much of the gas as they could into the tank, and Kagami hesitantly took the driver's seat to see what would happen if she turned the key. The engine chugged to life, fading to a low background rumble. She took a quick inventory of the steering, the dashboard symbols, the gear shift. Taking a deep breath, she tried to convince herself she could figure this out.

"Hey. Anyone else coming?" she asked.

* * *

Chapter 31

Fear of the Unknown

* * *

The summer heat of Tokyo and sounds of battle transitioned rigidly into a cool nighttime breeze with the sound of crickets chirping. They were out in the woods somewhere - Tsukasa didn't care where they were. They were out. A large building of some sort was at their side, and she leaned against it, lowering herself to the ground and pressing her face against her knees. Kyon came to sit beside her.

"We made it out... That's good," he said.

"I never want to do that again... Never." It was all she could say.

"I'm with you on that."

He raised his head to see where they had stepped out from. Of course, there was nothing there - just like last time, the door vanished once they came through. It was probably still there on the other side.

Kyon sighed, and looked over at Tsukasa. "Well? What do we do now?"

"Are they..." Her voice was weak with shock, fear. "Are they coming?"

"They should be out any minute now." Everything was quiet. It was a pleasant change from before, but somehow unsettling. "Any minute... Look, they're much better equipped to survive than we are, and we made it out fine."

"Konata wanted us to..."

It was the one shred of hope Tsukasa had left, the belief that whatever happened, Konata was in control. Even after a situation like what had just happened, her faith was unshakable.

"Maybe..." Kyon said, considering the idea. "But she doesn't want this to end any time soon, it looks like." Tsukasa turned her head very slightly to the side, just to look at him, but still clutching her legs tight against her. "She really does remind me of Haruhi..." Kyon added.

"Huh?"

"I just get this feeling that Haruhi disappeared because she wanted to. She's fed up with the real world... my world, I guess," he corrected himself. "Isn't that like what Konata did?"

"She died a year ago..." Tsukasa said, her voice dropping to an even softer volume. "I mean, I guess she faked it, or something..."

"Because she wanted to go to different worlds. I guess what she'd consider what we just went through to be fun." Kyon leaned his head back, staring up at the stars.

Tsukasa remembered the demons that had shown up back home. Those were the ones from Dante's world. Konata had shown up and was fighting them easily, and she'd been well-equipped to do it. Tsukasa doubted she could ever use a sword, or any kind of weapon, really.

"Still not out," Kyon said, looking up and around.

"No..." Tsukasa agreed. "But..."

"They'll be here any minute," Kyon reassured her.

The branches of the trees rustled in the wind. Tsukasa stared at the ground with her large blue eyes half-closed, while Kyon inspected the ornate brickwork of the building they were leaning against. The windows were arched with clean white panes, but the rooms were dark. He wondered what kind of place this was. A few minutes passed.

"You still have the COMP, right? If that still works... Those demons can protect us. I wasn't too sure about how it would all turn out, but you have some good ones." Kyon didn't outright say what he was afraid of, because it was the last thing Tsukasa wanted to hear. But he had to think practically.

Tsukasa still didn't move. "Your number's gone," she said idly, looking above his head.

"That's a relief..."

Seeing her there, so vulnerable and scared, he couldn't help but think about Asahina. Any number of terrible things could have happened to her. He hoped she was still alright. He hoped she hadn't caught the flu or anything - and realized that was an oddly specific thought, and somewhat random considering what all the possibilities were. Tsukasa, Mikuru... that other girl too, Takara - they weren't really cut out for this kind of thing. Neither was he, to be honest.

"How much longer do we stay here?" he wondered aloud.

It shocked him to see Dante suddenly step out of thin air, in about the same spot that they had. He stopped to catch his breath and return his sword to his back, then stretched out his arms behind his head. It took him a couple moments to see them.

"Hey. So looks like the three of us aren't dead."

"The... three of us?" Tsukasa said.

"So you're saying Kamina..." Kyon started.

Dante cut him off. "He's still back there, but he's doing just fine on his own. Should be through any minute. Where are we?" It was as if he'd just noticed his surroundings.

"No clue," Kyon said. He stayed seated beside Tsukasa, and yawned. "We've just been sticking around here waiting for you. Wonderful to see you made it out okay."

"Right... I'd say give that idiot half an hour to get here, or else we're off," Dante said. "Those angels saw what you did, and it really pissed them off. I could barely get to the door without them all swarming after me."

"So what would you say Kamina's chances are?"

"No clue." Dante shrugged. "If he doesn't make it, fine. Tsukasa, you've still got that computer thing, don't you?"

"Yeah..." she said feebly.

"And I'm fine on my own..." Dante said. "Hell, I'm tempted to get going right now. Wonder what kind of crazy shit we'll run into in _this_ world."

"But Kamina's the only one from... Konata's organization..." Tsukasa said. "She wanted him to come with us..."

"I've got it figured out by now." He considered it for a very brief moment, and then said, "So come on, let's - "

He was cut off when Kamina appeared behind him. He stepped out of the invisible doorway, sheathing his katana with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Mission accomplished," he said. "But I'm ashamed none of you stayed to fight longer. You'll never get anywhere if you keep on giving up like that."

"Except that one, I'm pretty sure we would have died if we tried that, and two, we_ did_ get somewhere," Kyon replied. "And I'd really be happy if we never had to do anything like that again."

Kyon liked this world, he decided. He'd noticed the faint sounds of a nearby city - a normal, functioning city, or at least he hoped. Not one that was under quarantine enforced by the forces of Heaven itself. They'd been sitting for nearly an hour without anything notable happening.

"Fine, so now let's get out of here," Dante said.

With any luck, this feeling of calm would last.

* * *

A river separated the city from the wastelands, and it was crossed by way of a long steel bridge. Dangerously long, by the looks of it, and swaying dangerously in the wind. By what was left of its structure, Miyuki could infer that it had been quite sturdy at one point until years of neglect and rust had all but destroyed it.

"Hm, still doesn't look like anyone's home," Spike said, staring across the chasm. "Makes you wonder just how long the music's been playing."

After several hours of hearing the repetitive pattern, it didn't sound musical anymore. It had almost become unnoticeable, just a part of the background noise. Now as they got closer, it was much more irritating, and they had to speak loudly to be heard.

"I'm intrigued," Alucard said. He turned towards the bridge. "Any volunteers?"

Miyuki was the last to step onto the swaying mess of concrete and steel, directly behind Nagato. Once she was on it, she felt her legs wobble, and had to resist the urge to look down into the river below. A blue vehicle of some sort was down there, once she gave in and looked at it, something that looked like a... a monorail, she supposed. It had crashed long ago and was overgrown with rust and plant life.

The thought of ending up down there, falling into the muddy water like the train had, seemed to have permanently fixed itself in the back of her mind.

She tried to look up instead, but that made her notice the steel tracks, which had given out just like this bridge could at any moment. The train had derailed from there, the supports just giving out and letting it tumble into the water below.

"Now, I almost hate to ask, but what exactly did you mean when you said this world was corrupted?" Spike asked.

"The data compromising this space is instable." Nagato didn't say any more as she proceeded calmly. Miyuki decided to watch her, hopefully finding she could imitate how undaunted Nagato could be by these dangerous situations.

Miyuki noticed the words "LaMerk Foundry" imprinted on one of the steel beams.

They were advancing at what seemed like a rate of only a couple feet per minute. The drums grew louder and louder, but it couldn't be because they were getting closer, it was like someone in there was cranking up the volume as a way to greet them.

They were almost to the other side... What was that song Spike had talked about, again? The one that this isolated beat had come from... He had hummed a bit of the melody.

* * *

_"Hey, look at the hooks_  
_on your pants makes you wanna dance._  
_I say yeah yeah,_  
_I say yeah yeah._  
_There ain't never a catch, all you got to do is snatch,_  
_do the velcro fly,_  
_do the velcro fly."_

"Is that the radio?" Kagami said. "Geez, what kind of a song is _that?_"

"Nah, not radio. Cassette player, looks like," Rei replied.

"Turn it off."

"But it's so _quiet _out here! It's starting to creep me out."

"Then we _really_ don't want the car battery to run out, do we?" Kagami said. "Should I remind you that this thing really shouldn't be working in the first place?"

Rei shut off the music. Ejecting the cassette, she examined it, noticing it was a band called ZZ Top. She'd never heard of them before. Maybe they were like the car, the Takuro Spirit or whatever it was called. Some relic from a different world, one that had died long ago. They passed a number of green metal road signs directing them to different cities, all spray-painted over with the words "BOULDER, CO" and arrows pointing towards wherever it was.

"Hm? What was that? Some kind of pounding..." Joshua said, waking up. He'd been asleep in the back seat for the past couple of minutes.

"Drums," Rei said.

"Oh, it was music. Gave me some kind of weird feeling, like... I don't know." He shifted in his seat slightly, and stared out the window.

It had been nothing but the ruins of the United States for the past two hours or so. The signs pointing to Boulder suggested that maybe someone was still alive out here, but Kagami didn't follow them. It would have meant going off the path. She still wasn't exactly sure what the path was, or where it led, but if she ever looked closely at anything, a tree, a bent road sign, the motion of the wind, it all followed the path.

"It's so quiet..." Rei repeated.

"Fine. Why don't we talk?" Kagami suggested. "I'd really like to hear more about Konata, actually. It seems like the two of you know her much better than I do, after all."

"I've only known her for a little more than a year, actually..." Rei said. She thought for a moment. "The first thing Eclipse ever had me do was steal that EVA from the alternate version of my universe. That was a weird experience, I ran into myself and everything... Do you even have any idea what it's like? Totally weird."

"So Konata helped you on that? When was that?"

"Let's see, it was right after I ran into you at the Comiket thing, so... wasn't that January for you? We actually did the mission a week later."

Kagami tried to imagine Konata back then - and Jason, for that matter. Come to think of it, she really didn't have any clue who he was. But she had really thought that Konata was such a simple, predictable person. Go to school, laze about for the afternoon, not caring about anything, then at night going off to another world to fight demons or steal a giant robot? And, whenever they went to different universes back then, they could always come back whenever they wanted.

"It really wasn't too bad when the Talismans worked, you know," Rei said.

"Let's see, it's been about two years since I first met Konata. I helped out on her first training mission." Joshua was searching for the memories. "Jason told me all about her. Neither of us could believe they'd let someone like her - with that much power, I mean - become part of the Organization, but I agreed to help out anyway."

"You knew? You never told me about that!" Rei said, turning around in her seat to stare at him. "So all that time that we were in Fire Emblem - did she ever do anything crazy that I just didn't notice?"

Joshua shrugged. "Jason said that she created closed space a couple times. Slowed down as time went on, and they always had people come in to take care of it."

"Closed space...?" Kagami said. "So she actually can create it? That's a little scary."

"It's all because of how she was feeling. She talked about you a lot - well, everyone from Lucky Star, but especially you and those other two girls."

"She shouldn't have ever left in the first place..." Kagami muttered, now staring straight ahead. She turned smoothly around a minivan that was abandoned in the middle of the road. "You both were doing that mission, or whatever, right after she did the whole murder thing?"

"Joshua was there with them, I dropped in every now and again to be a mage," Rei said. She grinned. "It was actually pretty fun, but I don't think I'd ever be able to adjust to medieval times like that."

Actually, it was difficult to imagine Konata being able to do something like that. At least, the Konata that Kagami was imagining would never live in a world without television and video games. It was like she was a total stranger - but she had missed her old life back home, and she'd missed her friends... Kagami felt split between anger and sympathy.

"After the war was finished, I guess Konata went to Per - " Rei stopped for a moment. "Wait, does anyone else hear that?"

It was a warbling, high-pitched sound growing steadily in volume. Kagami glanced around for a source, but nothing was visible. The radio was off, it wouldn't be malfunctioning, and the scenery was the same mess of abandoned cars and vandalized highway signs.

"I hear it... What does it mean?" Mikuru said.

"No idea. Sounds Hawaiian, doesn't it?" Rei replied.

Kagami was about to ask what the hell she meant by _that,_ but the sound suddenly jumped to absolutely unbearable levels and she clenched her teeth trying to resist it. She was getting a migraine, and losing control of the car -

"Kagami! Pay attention!" Rei shouted.

"What is it? What's going on?" She heard Joshua's voice from the back seat.

The sound died out, only having been present for less than a minute. Kagami slowed down, and shifted to get comfortable again. Her knuckles were still white, gripping the steering wheel firmly.

"That was odd..." Rei said.

"What did you mean by 'sounds Hawaiian?'" Kagami asked.

"Huh? I..." Rei hesitated, and let out a sigh. She stared ahead out the window. "I don't know. Just kind of..." Her voice trailed off.

It was then that the car started to slow down, lurching forward a bit and coming to a stop. Kagami realized she hadn't been watching the dashboard closely. The fuel gauge was nearly empty... No, it was empty, and this was its last chugging motion before the Spirit died. They sat in silence for a few moments, the apocalyptic vision surrounding them eerily still. The road had faded out to a barely distinguishable dirt path.

Kagami didn't do anything for a minute, just letting her hands drop from the wheel. She looked over at the duffel bag beside her. Then she checked the mirrors, looking at the back seat, and watching the landscape. "So what do we do now? We're probably about a hundred miles from Topeka, the car's not going anywhere, and I don't see anything useful out here."

"We could... get out and walk?" Mikuru's tone suggested she didn't entirely like the idea. Maybe the thought of sitting out here doing nothing was terrible enough to make her go for the less-unpleasant alternative.

"Where would we go?"

"Umm... We'll find something, didn't one of the signs back there say we were near..." Rei couldn't remember exactly. They weren't anywhere near Boulder, that much was for sure.

"You could ask for directions," Joshua offered, his gaze directed out the window. His chin rested on his hand.

"There's an idea," Kagami said. "Who's out there to tell us anything?"

"That person, over there," he replied. "See?"

Sure enough, somebody was out there - far off in the distance, but it was worth a shot. If they were there, maybe there was some form of civilization nearby too. But something about the figure didn't look right. The proportions, maybe. Or the way they were moving.

"You think somebody survived the plague?" Joshua said.

Kagami considered it for a moment, then took out one of the revolvers from her bag. She slung it over her shoulder. "We'll find out." She noticed the look Rei was giving her, somewhere in between shock and approval, and added, "It's just a precaution. We don't have any idea who it is."

"I'm beginning to think you could've been a great member of Eclipse, that's all."

* * *

State Alchemists - "dogs of the military" was the term you heard a lot in the anime, Konata remembered - surrounded what was left of the front entrance of the library. She raised her hands to indicate she wasn't going to resist, still holding Dr. Marcoh's notes in her left hand. It probably looked like she had stolen a single book and then set fire to the rest, which would most likely be construed as an anti-government action and punished severely.

At any moment she expected the mildly familiar sensation of being shot to death.

"This really isn't what it looks like," she said. It sounded terrible.

"Alright, so I'd love to hear exactly what is going on," she heard someone say. A tall man with square-rimmed glasses stepped out from the ranks to speak directly to her. "First, what are you doing here?"

"Major Hughes? I, um - "

"You know me?" he said, suddenly caught off guard.

That had been a mistake - Konata knew better than to reveal anything she knew, particularly names. "Uh... Never mind that..." The guns were still trained on her. She cast a quick glance at the book in her hand, and held it out to him. "Here."

"What's that? A... cookbook?" he raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's... It's Tim Marcoh's notes for creating the Philosopher's Stone."

Hughes was shocked when he heard that, and understandably so. Chances are he'd been hearing a lot about the Philosopher's Stone recently, due to the Elric's constant attempts to create one. Which reminded Konata that she had to get this book to them. And she wanted to deliver it personally, because if she didn't get to meet them in real life, it would be a waste of a great opportunity. She also didn't feel like being arrested with stolen material and a strong possibility for arson and destruction of government property.

"I think you'd better come with us. There won't be any trouble if you just come along peacefully," Hughes said in a calm tone.

Instead, Konata broke into a sprint, taking off towards a small opening to her right.

She was running at full speed, not making an effort to appear like a normal human. At this rate, nobody would be able to catch up to her. She heard a confused babble behind her and a couple gunshots, but none of them made their target. If she would have been paying more attention, she would have noticed how the bullets would abruptly stop in midair for a second, then drop to the ground. All she knew is that she was glad she was making a good escape.

Everything was a dark, greyish blur. Konata turned random corners, went through alleys, just putting as much distance between herself and the police as she possibly could. At some point she realized she was lost, and couldn't even remember where to go back to the hotel the others were staying at, but there were still angry voices in the distance that she was pretty sure were referring to her.

By tomorrow, she'd have quite a reputation. A teenage girl - actually, she looked even younger than that - burning down the library and stealing such an important book? Chances are everyone would be talking about her.

Konata figured she probably had quite a reputation. She'd never know just how many of her assignments with Eclipse became widespread stories in the hundreds of worlds she'd visited. This just added one more.

The problem was, Edward and his brother would be arriving the next day, and she'd still want to talk to him. Chances are he'd know about her before she showed up. That would be awkward... But she'd gotten away from the military here once, she could always do it again. Speaking of which, she noticed the commotion had died down, and this part of the city was still asleep. She slowed her pace.

Examining the cover of the book - the innocuous title giving no hint as to its true purpose - she put it away, and brought out a hooded coat. Surprisingly, she'd found that wearing cloaks often was a good disguise when you were wanted by the police, as much as it would seem like you would stand out while wearing one. But this would certainly get her back the hotel unnoticed... wherever it was.

She turned around and started looking for it, debating over whether or not it would be a bad idea to ask for directions.

* * *

Miyuki was wondering just what exactly had happened to this city. No people, neverending rock music eternally on repeat, and severe structural damage to these otherwise commonplace skyscrapers. Chances are that in a world where people continued to live in cities, these buildings would be repaired periodically and would never come down to this level of neglect.

"What are we supposed to do now?" she asked finally.

"Nothing interesting around here," Spike replied. "I thought maybe there would be something, or even just the way on to whatever world Konata has planned for us next, but... I'm out of ideas."

The city was so large that it would be difficult to find anything useful in it. They certainly didn't want to pass over anything that was useful, and Spike had a good point. Konata was still the one sending them to these worlds, and if she did have any sort of plan, then there must be a reason they were here.

"Let's see, what could possibly be important in a place like this..." Spike said, thinking for a moment before arriving at one single conclusion. "Nagato, do you sense Haruhi around here anywhere?"

"No."

"Do you sense anything around here?"

At that she didn't respond, seeming like another negative response that she didn't feel the need to say out loud.

"With that noise going on for so long, I don't think anyone would want to stay here if they didn't have to," Miyuki said.

"You've got a point. I guess I'd really just like to get out of here, as quickly as possible." Spike had lit up another cigarette. He seemed to be going through them at a rate that accelerated the more time they spent in the city.

It was several minutes before they came to something that looked like a station of some sort. Miyuki could imagine people coming and going, using... monorails. Like the kind she had seen crashed in the river. At some point this city might have been a nice place to live, full of people. Not too much unlike Tokyo, maybe. Or New York City, in America.

She noticed a large sign hanging above their heads:

NORTH CENTRAL POSITRONICS

WELCOMES YOU

TO THE CRADLE OF LUD

←SOUTHEAST TRAVEL (BLAINE)

NORTHWEST TRAVEL (PATRICIA) →

"Here's our way out," Alucard said. "Provided the trains are still running."

"Hey, if ZZ Top can keep playing throughout all of eternity, there's a good chance we might be able to commandeer a monorail." Spike's tone sounded like it might be half-sarcastic.

Miyuki stared at the tracks, which really did remind her of the public transportation back home, and attempted to determine the directions. The Northwest line seemed to go in the direction they had started from. Patricia - was that the name of the blue train? It reminded her of that exchange student, Patricia Martin, the one who had gone to Ryoo after Jason had left.

"I suppose we should take the Southeast one," she said. "'Blaine,' it says."

Spike shrugged. "Let's see if he's home, then."

"It's odd, though. They made Patricia blue, when usually the boy would be blue and the girl would be pink..."

"Maybe they're both blue."

"No, Blaine's... pink."

"Huh? You saw it?" Spike seemed confused. "When?"

"I..." Miyuki's mind suddenly went blank. "No, I never saw it... I guess I just..."

"That doesn't matter for now," Alucard interrupted them. "Be quiet. Do you hear that?"

Even if they stopped talking, the loud repetitive beating drowned out anything else. The attempt was in vain, but Alucard still seemed to sense something.

"It sounds as if the city's not as dead as we thought," he said.

"Someone's here?" Spike asked.

"And they're coming," Alucard said. He seemed to be grinning, though the blankness of his goggles and the pointed fangs revealed in the smile made it more menacing than anything else. "Ready or not..."

Miyuki's heart was pounding as she reached down into her pocket to feel the comforting shape of Negi's card. She tried to remember her training, although it hadn't lasted long.

One more thought: What did it do to a person if they _had_ in fact lived in this city, and for so long?


	32. Crimson King

Haruhi felt it even before the Tower was in view.

An attractive force, drawing her in. The black Tower in this field of roses was the center of everything; out of all the places Randall Flagg could have taken her, this was the one that she realized she most wanted to be. Still, she had no idea what was even inside the Tower, just that it wanted her as much as she did.

"What is this?" she asked. She didn't look to her side where Flagg was standing, it was impossible to take her eyes off the Tower.

"You really don't know? I'm sure you must feel something. You have to."

It was true, she did. All she really wanted was for him to tell her in simple terms, but maybe there were none to communicate exactly what this was. Leaving behind her old world had been worth it. This was something totally out of the ordinary. This was better than anything she could have imagined.

Flagg spoke again. "I only wish we would have had more time. I should have thought ahead..."

"No, it'll be fine. I won't let you down..." Haruhi meant what she said, but still didn't understand what they were doing here. Did it matter? She'd go along with anything.

Something flashed in his eyes, like a thought was occurring to him. "You're the only one who can do this. You understand that, right? There's..." He hesitated. "Absolutely no one else out there with a power like yours."

"Power..." Haruhi considered that. Right now, any kind of power seemed tiny compared to what was right in front of her.

"Come on. We can't waste any more time out here." Flagg started off across the aged stone path, stepping over the aged white bricks towards the front entrance of the Tower.

A voice drifted down, across a wide distance but still easily understandable. Actually, it was less of a voice and more of an insane, high-pitched shrieking. "FLAGG! YOU'VE RETURNED?"

"Who was that? It wasn't... the King, was it?" Haruhi said. She stopped in her tracks, unsure of whether to proceed.

"He's mad at me. It's been a few years since I left him. Didn't quite like his plans," Flagg said. "I followed him for a while, or at least pretended to. Eventually I found out that we - his followers, I mean - we were all the power he had. He's just a fool who probably lost his mind hundreds of years ago, and just wants to tear everything down to nothing. Since then, I've been working on my own to find you. We'll take the Tower back from him."

"YOU BETRAAAAAAYED ME!" The Crimson King's taunting was followed by something that sounded like a scream, but turned into an annoying whine as it sped closer. Haruhi had enough time to recognize a glint of gold flying through the air at nearly supersonic speeds before it whizzed past them and exploded into chunks of sharp, jagged metal on the ground.

"What's he doing? I don't like this..."

"Just calm down. You'll be fine. I need you if we're ever going to make this work." Flagg's face was sincere. Haruhi realized she didn't even know just how long he'd been preparing for this very moment. How old was he, anyway? Probably much more than he looked. At first guess she'd thought he was about thirty.

He'd never told her exactly what her power was, or how she was supposed to use it. Haruhi glanced up at the Tower, looking at the rows of windows on each floor, then noticing a balcony. A tiny red figure was up there, with a face and wildly waving hands. Another shriek, one hand reached down and then flung something at them. Another one of those gold spheres came at them, missing by inches. She even felt the gust of wind it created as it went past.

"EEEEEEEE!"

"What are we supposed to do? We don't have anything... Can't you use magic or something?" Haruhi said. She wasn't just asking at this point, she was demanding it. "What did you bring me here for?"

"Listen carefully," Flagg said. Another whine started off far away, growing in intensity as it came towards them. "I need you to - "

The sentence was cut off as one of the gold things grazed his arm. The jacket was torn, and his arm was bleeding badly. It almost looked like the skin had been torn off.

"Are you alright?" Haruhi said. She tore her eyes away from his injury just long enough to see the Crimson King up there, hearing his mad laughter at his victory. This place suddenly didn't feel as welcoming. He was ruining everything.

"I'll be fine..." Flagg winced, clutching at the wound. Then he seemed to forget about it, looked up at her, and spoke calmly. "None of this is real. You're dreaming. Nothing here can hurt you." He stared her straight in the eye, and she realized he was telling the truth.

"What?"

"The Crimson King doesn't really exist."

Even though Flagg said that, she could still hear the King's voice. "YOU CAN'T WIN! I HOLD THE TOWER! IT'S MIIIIIIINE!"

"Do you hear me, Haruhi? He's not real. He isn't there."

No, it was impossible. All of this was impossible. All a dream... Like that one where she'd been at the school at night, with Kyon. As much as she wished the Tower to be real... and for the chance to leave behind her boring old life and have special powers... Deep down, she had always known it was impossible. This was all in her head... And she didn't want the Crimson King to be part of it anymore. She could wake up at any moment, but until then, she wanted to enjoy being here.

It had grown very quiet.

* * *

Chapter 32

Prophecies Were Made Of You And I

* * *

It was early morning by the time Konata found her way back to the hotel, a soft light had started to spread over the city and a bit of a chill was gradually dissipating out of the air. She didn't hesitate to enter the room and wake the others up.

"Alright, Edward and Alphonse will be here later today most likely, and then we should _really_ be getting out of the city," she announced.

"Wait... huh?" Junpei rubbed his eyes as he sat up.

"Out of the city...? The way you said that..." Jason's voice trailed off, but she knew what he meant.

"Yeah. They're looking for me. But first we need to meet up with the Elrics." She moved across the room to look out the window, down at the street.

"What exactly did you do?" Junpei asked.

Konata didn't move for a moment, just moved a head up to her forehead to rub at it. Then she slowly turned around. "Well, uh... I was just looking around last night... I wasn't really expecting anything to happen." She explained everything, from the time that she found the Library up to the current situation.

"So this is a world that you know a lot about, despite never being here before," Koizumi said. He glanced over at the light novel on the end table, the copy of Haruhi that they'd picked up in the waystation. "Similar to mine, I suppose. And why exactly did you steal the book from the library?"

"I don't know, it's not really going to affect us at all, come to think of it..." Konata's eyes shifted around, not settling on any of the three of them. "They even got by without it, in the original series. I guess I just wanted to help them out a little. This way they'll have the information quicker than they would have."

"And you're planning to deliver this to them in person, from the sound of it." Jason's expression wasn't exactly accusatory, but he didn't approve either.

"Yeah... Sorry, I couldn't resist the chance. I know I shouldn't be doing this."

"It's fine," he said. "But where do you think we should go after we're done here?"

"Let's see..." Konata turned to the window again while she thought. She could see one of the blue-uniformed state alchemists passing by on the sidewalk across the street. His gait was relaxed; he was most likely not on duty. Still, they were out on patrol. Then, getting back to her train of thought, "I just remember a few places from this world. It doesn't really matter. Somewhere remote. I'll try to get us a way out."

Out of this world would be the best place. She wasn't sure where the next place would be. It was supposed to be wherever Haruhi was, Jason and Koizumi had made that perfectly clear. She was still trying to fix that in her mind.

"Can't believe we've only been here less than a day and you're already wanted by the police..." Junpei said.

Konata smiled mischievously. "It's not the first time that's happened for me."

Something - she couldn't be sure exactly what had triggered it - reminded her of that man in the yellow coat. He'd tried to kill her back in Haruhi's world. Never mind the state alchemists in this world, or the police force in any single world, there was an entire multidimensional organization out there looking for her. If they ever happened to stumble across her, who knows what would happen? And to think, Eclipse had once been so good to her. In fact, she'd considered it the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Jason spoke up. "The three of us should get going. If we're seen with you, Konata, things might get worse than they need to be. I'm sure you understand."

Konata nodded.

"Then I suppose you should drop off your book, and we'll meet you..." Koizumi tried to think of a landmark they'd seen the day before. They'd done a lot of wandering around, that was for sure.

"We could meet at the train station. You remember it, right? And we'll come up with some place to get away to," Konata said. Then her voice dropped, becoming more serious. "I don't know, I could try to get us a way out of here, and maybe we will make it to Haruhi."

Yes, Haruhi was the objective at this point. But still, all Konata could focus on was the return home. She just wanted to be somewhere that she didn't have to care about anything anymore. It had been so long since those days she could hardly even remember what it had been like.

* * *

"Don't move."

Miyuki saw Alucard turn towards her, emotionless behind his huge goggles. He raised the gun in his hand, pointing it directly at her. She barely had time to comprehend what was going on before he fired.

The bullet went right past her left ear, close enough for her to feel the gust of wind as it flew past. It hit someone directly behind her, she heard a quickly silenced scream and the sound of a body dropping to the ground.

"What the hell's going on?" Spike said. The sense of dread was intensified by those drums. He had drawn his pistol as well, searching around for the next attacker. There was bound to be more than one.

The train station was right next to them. It would probably be a good idea to retreat inside... Provided there was nobody waiting for them. Turning around hesitantly, Miyuki saw the body of a man wearing a yellow bandana, now splattered with blood, his face entirely gone. She quickly turned away, but that glance had been enough for her to see he'd been carrying a knife. The possibility that a train might still be working was slim, but it was an appealing thought.

Some more gunshots rang out. Spike had fired. Miyuki cringed and spun around to see what was happening. A few more had come from a different direction, which suggested they might be surrounded.

"I..." Miyuki wasn't sure if she wanted to finish the sentence. The violence was too much for her, but... "I can help..." She held the card in one trembling hand hanging down limply at her side.

Nagato, who had been standing unflinchingly in the accelerating chaos, regarded her with a blank expression. Then she turned to the sign hanging above them in front of the station.

"Right... Miyuki, see if there's a way out," Spike said. "Maybe the train's still there. I'd be willing to chance it."

She had her good luck charm, her source of power. She had repeatedly told herself that she would be able to use it if the time came - which it had. But now there was something stopping her from using it. Not the thought that she wouldn't be able to. She definitely could. The problem was that she was afraid to.

The station. The Cradle of Lud. And Blaine, the Southeast line out of the city and away from this. She went in.

At some time, this must have been a very grand station, but now sat in ruin. There were bars running along one side, badly rusted, but through them she could see a pink form. Blaine. She had known he would be pink, the same shade her hair had been in those other worlds, come to think of it... On the opposite wall, stern faces had been carved into the stone. Nearly half of them had crumbled, some had fallen off.

There were more gunshots from outside, and even at this distance they caused her to flinch. She had to work fast, she had to figure out some way to activate Blaine. If he - if _it_ - still worked.

There was a box mounted on the metal bars, near the front of the train. Miyuki hurried over to see what it was, because from a distance it certainly looked like a control panel. As long as it wasn't too complicated, she'd do her best to figure it out. A speaker was on the top half, and something that was probably the intercom button next to it. Below that, Miyuki realized with unease, were buttons for all the numbers from one to one hundred, arranged in a diamond pattern. A passcode entry, maybe. So many numbers... And the other two buttons were written in a language she didn't recognize, but could understand as "COMMAND" and "ENTER."

"This isn't any good at all..." she said to herself, looking over the diamond of numbers. There was also the intercom, so she tried that hopefully. Holding down the button, she spoke while leaning in close to it. "Hello...? Is... anyone there?"

No response. Outside, more bursts of gunfire. Spike's voice, although she couldn't make out what he was saying. She turned around and saw Nagato standing right behind her, seeming like she'd come out of nowhere.

"Oh! Um, hello..." Miyuki said, startled. "I found this control panel, but I can't seem to get it to work..." She looked back down at it. Had the "COMMAND" button been glowing that color before? Maybe it was doing something now...

_"Please don't wake him up... I can't let him catch me..."_ Miyuki first thought the soft voice was coming from Nagato, but it wasn't the same. There was more emotion in it. The voice had been coming from the speaker.

"Hello?" she said, holding down the button again. It was incredible anything here could still work. "Who's there? What's your name?"

The reply was much louder. "WHO ARE YOU?" It seemed to shake the walls, this already sorry structure could collapse around them at any moment. "WHERE HAVE YOU COME FROM? TELL ME NOW."

"Oh... um..." Miyuki stared at the train, which hadn't moved, but this was surely Blaine's voice. "My name is... Takara Miyuki... This is Nagato Yuki, we came from..." She gave a nervous laugh, not sure how Blaine would respond to the next part. "I'm not sure if you've ever heard of it before, but we're from Japan..."

"IMPOSSIBLE. THE DOORS TO THAT WHERE CLOSED LONG AGO."

"N-no, I'm really... We came through a door, I have a friend who... creates them, but we can't go back through. I'm from Tokyo, and Nagato... She lives in Nishinomiya, I believe, but it's a different world than mine. Please, um... Blaine, we just want you to take us out of the city..."

"WHO IS OUTSIDE?"

"Out...?" Miyuki wondered what he meant, but then remembered. "You mean Spike, and Alucard... Yes, they're with us. We all need to get out of here. I'd be very grateful if you could do that for us..."

"I CANNOT DO THAT FOR FREE, TAKARA MIYUKI OF TOKYO."

Miyuki shuddered to hear that voice saying her own name. This wasn't just some fantasy or science fiction novel, this was really happening to her. What did Blaine want? He wasn't human, or at least she didn't think so. What would an old, out-of-service monorail need?

"I don't quite understand..."

"ASK ME A QUESTION," Blaine commanded.

"Let's see..." Miyuki was possibly even more confused than before. "Where does your track lead to?" Blaine didn't respond. The only sound was the gunshots from outside (she realized what it might mean if there was still fighting going on, there had been many more people out there than she'd realized). And those drums... She almost didn't notice them anymore. "Who used to live here? Where exactly are we?"

Blaine would not answer any of them. She turned to see Nagato, who was equally as quiet.

"Nagato-san, I need some help here... Do you know any good questions to ask him?" Miyuki thought it might be a good idea. Nagato wasn't really anything like Blaine, but they were both artificial intelligence. Nagato was so much kinder in comparison, though, and not as threatening. An idea suddenly came in. "I can't remember any... Do you know any... riddles?"

Nagato stared back at her, and Miyuki almost could tell that she was thinking it over. As she was still trying to figure out why she had thought of riddles, how the idea had come right out of the blue, Nagato spoke.

"Tests of logic and deduction. I have read some."

"Good... Can you remember any?"

Nagato hesitated for a moment.

"SPEAK."

"'I am as large as a castle, yet lighter than air. One hundred men and their horses cannot move me. What am I?'" Nagato recited it in her usual monotone, like she had memorized it exactly. Most likely, she had.

Now Blaine was silent, and Miyuki worried that he wasn't impressed. It seemed foolish to try to engage a computer in a trivial display of logic, but then: "QUITE CLEVER... THE ANSWER IS THE CASTLE'S SHADOW. AN EASY ONE. BUT GOOD. DO YOU KNOW ANY MORE?"

Miyuki looked back to Nagato, who gave a slight nod.

"VERY GOOD... I WILL TAKE YOU AS FAR AS I CAN IF YOU PROMISE TO PROVIDE ME WITH MORE." Blaine seemed to have been able to see Nagato's head movement, even if she hadn't spoken. How? Was there a camera somewhere, watching them? Come to think of it, he knew that there were other people outside the station.

"Thank you, Blaine..." Miyuki said, remaining polite but scared nearly out of her wits. "I really do appreciate it. You're really going to take us out?"

"PERHAPS. BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO PRIME THE PUMP FIRST, AND MY PUMP PRIMES BACKWARDS."

"I don't understand..."

"SIMPLY A RIDDLE OF MY OWN." Was that enjoyment in Blaine's voice? She thought it might be.

Miyuki let out an exhausted sigh. This computer had gone mad. It didn't seem possible, but it was somehow more alive than the average computer - and it had been sitting here for hundreds, maybe thousands of years, the monotony finally pushing it over the edge. Prime the pump backwards? Where was the pump?

"Do you understand what he's saying, Nagato-san?" she asked. "If we prime the pump backwards..." The control panel sat there, with its rows of numbers. One hundred of them. She couldn't make any sense of it.

"Prime numbers," Nagato said.

"What do you mean?"

No response, but Nagato simply went up to the box and started pecking at the numbered buttons too quickly to even see what she was doing. Then Miyuki realized - she was hitting all the prime numbers in reverse order. It was amazing how quickly she was able to process it. There was a series of clicks as each button was pressed, and the gate slid open slowly as she pressed the 1.

"NOT BAD AT ALL, NAGATO YUKI OF NISHINOMIYA. I SHALL LOOK FORWARD TO THIS RIDE VERY MUCH." His tone, which now definitely had grim joy in it somewhere, made Miyuki feel that she would probably like to be done with this as soon as possible.

"What's going on? I heard something..." Spike ran into the station, Alucard following behind. He looked down the platform at them, then at Blaine, and quickly turned back to the entrance and fired a few more shots.

"I WOULD SUGGEST YOU BOARD QUICKLY," Blaine's voice boomed down at them.

* * *

Was she getting paranoid? Yes, probably, the effects of being in that town... Seeing those things that weren't really there, but she knew were true... Those may never wear off completely. But Kagami thought that carrying a loaded gun while approaching a strange figure in the middle of a ruined America was probably a legitimate precaution.

It was an awkward-looking figure. The head was the wrong shape, the lanky arms hung down farther than they should have. Also, on closer inspection, it was made of metal and a few wires were exposed.

"It's... some kind of robot?" she said.

"Looks like it," Rei said. "Hey! Excuse me!"

"What are you _doing?_ Don't talk to it like that!"

The robot turned around and looked at them... Kagami thought that's what it was doing, at least. "Good day, sai," it said to them. Its voice was relatively easy to understand. "Long days and pleasant nights."

"Uh... yeah, same," Kagami said. What else could she say?

"Is it safe...?" Mikuru said. She had hidden herself behind the others.

"Yeah, I think so. He's polite, at least," Rei said. "We're trying to find our way around. Is there a town nearby?"

"Indeed!" The voice seemed cheerful. "There is a settlement, by the name of Calla Bryn Sturgis, just nearby. In the meantime, would you perhaps like to hear your horoscope, or I could - "

"Wait, there's a town nearby? Just take us there, we've been... travelling," Joshua said. "A long time. If they've got food and a place to stay, we'd be quite grateful."

"Certainly, sai!" it replied. Kagami noticed a plate bolted onto its somewhat battered steel chest that read "ANDY" along with some smaller text she couldn't make out. "In fact, I was on my way there."

Andy - Kagami decided that must be its name, unless it was the model or brand or whatever - began to stride off in the opposite direction of the car. Kagami cast a glance behind herself at it, sitting there with one of the doors still open. It had breathed its last and died, it wasn't going anywhere. Mikuru silently asked what to do with a pleading gaze, and Kagami nodded.

"We're going with it?" Mikuru asked.

"Yeah. Let's go, he's not slowing down," Joshua said. He started walking, an expression of mild boredom in his eyes. "So what do you think this town is like? I don't suppose there will be any people there, unless they're all like our new friend. I can't even tell if he's really that friendly or if they just built that into him."

Kagami put one hand on the duffel bag, feeling its contents. She was still lugging around tons of ammo and two revolvers. It would hardly be a friendly welcome once they got to the town, if anyone bothered to ask her what she was carrying. But what could she do? Leave it behind? No. Who knows how long she'd be away from home. She may still need them.

The plains out here looked healthy and alive, gently rolling green plains stretched out all around them. Behind her the white shape of the abandoned Takuro Spirit grew smaller, while in the distance there was a dark cluster of shapes slowly growing larger. After they'd been walking for about a half hour she could almost identify them as buildings. Andy had been singing to himself for a few minutes, a song that Kagami neither recognized nor understood.

"That's the town?" Kagami said, squinting as she looked ahead.

"Calla Bryn Sturgis, correct!" Andy replied.

It laid on the trail Kagami knew she was supposed to follow. But the path didn't end there, it stretched out beyond. She was growing more and more convinced that she was being led to the way out - not just to the next world, but back home. They'd stop in this village for a little bit, get some much-needed rest and food (providing there was any) and then they'd continue on. They'd find the door, and when they went into it they wouldn't end up on some empty street but they'd be in the center of Tokyo maybe, crowded, with plenty of people staring at them, but it would be fine all the same. Just the chance to see her family again. Whatever else had to be done could wait.

The village was just a couple buildings, and the terrain around it seemed to be organized into rows. Farmland, where they were harvesting crops. That was a good sign. There would be food.

Andy had gone back to that little tune he had been singing softly. He was so strange. Even ignoring the fact that a robot with the ability to think for itself was the last thing Kagami had been expecting to see out here, he was still so strange.

"There really is a town up ahead..." Mikuru said, a hint of a smile coming to her face. It was good to see that. "There are people who survived that... disease?"

"Guess so..." Kagami said. "Hey, Andy. What exactly happened to everyone? I was almost sure that everyone had died when the flu hit, but this town still has people living in it, doesn't it?"

"I'm not sure what you mean. Yes, there are many living in the Calla," he said.

"What state are we in, anyway? I think we started in Kansas, but then we drove a long way," Kagami said.

"I don't understand. This region is known as the Grand Crescent."

For all that Kagami knew about American geography, the name didn't ring any bells. Besides, Andy had seemed perplexed at the word "Kansas." It hadn't seemed like Topeka had been all that ancient, but maybe the pre-apocalyptic order had all been long forgotten, relics of a dead era. Or maybe not. These alternate universes gave her so many headaches.

It was nearly dark when they entered the town. Andy turned around to speak to the four of them. Kagami looked closer at that plate on his chest, and noticed the company names "North Central Positronics" and "LaMerk Industries." She had almost expected to see that Takuro Automotive had been involved in his creation as well.

"This is Sai Jafford's house," he said, indicating what seemed to be a farmhouse. There was a light on in one of the windows, dim, probably not electric. Elsewhere, the sounds of sheep bleating could be heard. "You may inquire with him for a place to stay. I hope to be seeing you soon, but I must be off."

Andy strode off towards the center of town. It wasn't exactly sad to see him go; it would be much more pleasant to talk with this Jaffords if he did turn out to be human.

* * *

It was sometime in the early morning, and the city was already awake and active. The buildings were mostly skyscrapers of a uniform white color, the surfaces very clean-looking. The motif was futuristic, yet for the most part everything looked like it came from the present day. The cars still ran on wheels. Clothing didn't seem radically different from back home.

"So where and when do you think we are now?" Kyon said.

Tsukasa suddenly looked up at him. She'd been concentrating on her feet for the past couple minutes, once the shock of everything around them had worn off. Ever since they'd finished that first battle with the demons in Tokyo, she'd gotten this look of being so exhausted. It never wore off, it might ebb away for a few moments but then it would come right back. When she had collapsed by that building Kyon had almost worried that she'd never pick herself up again.

"No clue," Dante said. "That school we were just at. Ashmore, or whatever. The name ring any bells?"

"I'm pretty sure it was Ash_ford_," Kyon said, his voice fading out. He looked around again, somewhat disinterested. Right now all he wanted was to be back in his normal town, going to school and listening to those mind-numbing lectures.

Tsukasa spoke. "Kona-chan would know what's going on... She always knew everything about these places..."

"Maybe so," Kyon agreed.

"Right from the day I met her. I knew that girl was something special, I always knew it," Kamina said. "I wonder what she's doing now."

He only had a few impressions to go off of, but Kyon was quite confident Izumi was doing just fine. The way she'd come into the club room, talking about alternate universes like someone might talk about the weather or the current price of gas. He'd really wanted to believe she was crazy. He'd wanted to believe that about Haruhi.

"Where _did_ she get herself to..." he muttered.

"Huh?" Tsukasa said.

"Just wondering out loud... We're still supposed to be looking for Haruhi, aren't we?"

"That's what Kona-chan said we were supposed to do... Would she have come to a place like this?"

"Let's see. It's a bit futuristic, people here do seem really different. But it's still a bit too normal here. I mean, I could've sworn I saw a pizza delivery car go past a few blocks ago. Nah, if Haruhi could choose anywhere she wanted, it would probably be completely unrecognizable from the real world." Kyon stretched out and yawned. "Man, I can't even think what time it's supposed to be. Should I be tired?"

They continued on for a few more blocks. Looking for anything significant in these worlds was a hopeless venture. The necessities were simple to figure out after their last experience: don't get killed, find a way out, make sure you have a place to stay for the night, and most importantly, don't get killed. It looked as if the risks of that were less in this world.

A huge video screen, like the kind in Times Square that Kyon had once seen pictures of, was on the side of one of the buildings. A female news reporter was reading off what was probably an important announcement. Half the words didn't make sense.

"The Specially Administrated Zone of Japan is the first attempt of its kind in Britannia, and was personally proposed by Her Highness, Princess Euphemia," she read off in a slightly monotone voice. She continued on, something about the inspiration behind the plan and other details that didn't seem relevant to the four of them.

"Hm. So what's that all about?" Kyon wondered aloud.

"We're in Japan. Just like before," Kamina answered, as if it was as simple as that.

"But they said something about Brittania. Japan I've heard of, but that's a new one," Dante said.

Kyon nodded. "Right... It's got me worried, too."

The report continued. "The official announcement is to be made in a special appearance by the Princess herself, scheduled in two days..." Tsukasa let out a gasp, suddenly terrified.

"We... We need to... stay away. I don't, um... Whatever's going to happen..." she managed to say, the words jumbling together in confusion.

"Huh? Something wrong?" Kyon said.

"It's... It's just, well... There are a lot of people here who only have two or three days left..."

"Tsukasa, you really need to tell us about things like that! What about us? How long do we have?" Kyon had grown frantic.

"This is just wonderful, isn't it?" Dante muttered, although the others ignored him. "We're getting tangled up in some other random situation."

"We're going to be fine, I think..." Tsukasa said, her eyes darting nervously around, alternating between all of them. "We don't have any right now. So we've got... a week or longer, I think that's what it means..."

"Fine. We'll find out wherever this announcement's taking place. Maybe something will go wrong there. We just need to avoid that, and we should be fine..." Kyon said.

"You have no noble instinct at all, do you?" Kamina said. He suddenly seemed angry. "All these people are going to die, and we're just going to let it happen?"

"It doesn't concern us..." Dante groaned. "Besides, we pretty much did that in the last world, didn't we? If it's going to happen, it will. No need to get riled up."

"Anyway, you can't force me into doing anything," Kyon said. "I've just about had it. You go ahead if you want."

Nobody spoke for a moment, the droning voice of the newscaster going on behind them muffled slightly by other conversations. Finally, Kamina seemed to give in. "Fine. We'll let this one slip by. But just remember... We could've done something."

"Alrighty then," Dante said, stretching his arms out in a lazy gesture. "So where to next?"

* * *

"All just a dream..." Haruhi said breathlessly. It couldn't be. It all seemed so real, so solid. But dreams always did, like that one where she'd been at the school in the middle of the night, and...

She stared up at the balcony where the red-cloaked figure had been. He had vanished soundlessly, as if he'd never been there. Suddenly becoming conscious that you were not in reality had a few effects; one was usually disappointment, and the other was being in total control. She'd eliminated the one part that she didn't like. Now she could at least enjoy the rest of the time here before she woke up.

Flagg was still there beside her, so she wasn't completely alone. He was smiling. The wound on his arm was gone, the jacket perfectly intact.

"You did well," he said.

Haruhi was silent, staring across the field. The sensation of the Tower was returning, that feeling of being everywhere and everything at once. It was the most sensational dream she'd ever had, that was for sure.

"And... this wasn't a dream. I lied about that part."

"Huh? But..." Her eyes darted around, trying to think of what to say. "It had to be. I know that kind of stuff isn't really possible..."

"Don't say that. That's probably the _worst_ thing you could believe." Flagg almost looked like he could start laughing. "Don't you get it? That's your power. That's why I needed you. Because for you, it doesn't matter whether you're awake or dreaming. You're always in control."

"I'm - ?"

"You're something special. No doubt about that."

Everything that had happened had actually happened. The Dark Tower and the field of roses were real. Everything was real. If she wanted aliens to show up, what did she have to do? Just want it badly enough? A smile came across her lips. She, Suzumiya Haruhi, was nothing like ordinary humans. She should have left her old world behind years ago. In fact, maybe if her belief had been just a little stronger, she could have done it. All by herself.

"Now, don't get carried away. Getting rid of the Crimson King was just the first step. We still have a few things to take care of."

"It's no problem," Haruhi replied. "What's next?"

"Maybe you've felt it already. This tower is the center of everything. Every universe, every possible version of reality, it all comes together here."

Yes, she did notice it. That was the source of the amazing feeling she had. Her ability - the one that could change anything she wanted, the complete control she realized she had over the entire world - was coming together with this Tower. Flagg's plan all made sense now...

"And I'm supposed to... what? Take control of it?" she asked.

"You catch on quick," he said. "The Crimson King was trying to tear it down, destroy everything to a point where nothing would be left. But, thanks to you, not anymore. Still, this place is in bad shape. For now, you just need to keep it standing."

"I... what?" That was a vague request. How would she go about doing that? The structure looked healthy enough, it wasn't like huge chunks of the brickwork were falling out or anything.

"Now that the crazy old bastard's gone, we can start strengthening this place again. And, once everything's back to the way it should be..."

"I'm in control of it now," Haruhi repeated to herself. She had slowly been realizing that's what they were after. And, if she could have her way with how the world worked, things would be so much better, wouldn't they? She was getting restless with the prospect of what was to come.

"_We'll_ be in control of it," Flagg corrected her. "But I couldn't have accomplished this without you, so I'll be generous with your share of the power. In the meantime, I have to get going."

"What? Why?" It had caught her off guard. "What am I supposed to do?"

"The Tower's getting stronger just by you being here. I can tell. But there's still a few... minor annoyances... left for me to take care of. I'll be back shortly," he said.

"I understand," she said, a little disappointed. But staying here did have its appeal. She wouldn't deny that.

"Good girl," he said with a grin. He took the phone out of his pocket, the one he'd used before to take her out of her old world. He examined the circular emblem on the cover. "You know, taking over that organization was probably one of my better ideas... It led me to you, among a few other things. Yes, quite useful indeed." Then, after entering a few numbers, he vanished.

The Dark Tower belonged to her now. As she told herself that, endless possibilities were opening up in her mind. All the exciting things she had wanted? That she still did want? It could all happen. Somehow she'd been able to get rid of the Crimson King just by wanting him gone badly enough - and by believing she could remove him from existence. She'd really done that. Now how to do something like that again?

A short flight of carved ebony steps led up to the entrance of the Tower. Walking down the path, through the scarlet field of roses she had seen in a dream just several short days ago, she approached it and walked right up to the front door. The horizon was beginning to take on a deep orange color, and soon it would be sunset. The view from those windows all the way up there would be incredible, she knew it.

Everything was becoming so wonderful.


	33. Terror Train

Anything that Miyuki had been expecting Blaine the Monorail to be like - perhaps based on the public transportation back home - turned out to be entirely wrong.

The interior looked rather comfortable. The seats weren't hard plastic benches, but soft-seated swivel chairs and modern stylized sofas along the sides. A high-quality looking bar was towards the back, along with some sort of instrument with a keyboard, also very high-class. The lighting was hidden in the ceiling, except for a small chandelier in the center. That was perhaps the most unexpected feature of the decor. Unless you counted the total lack of windows.

"No time to stop and stare. We need to get going," Spike said, urging everyone into the cabin.

"PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS. WE WILL BE LEAVING SHORTLY."

Miyuki took one of the sofas along the wall, finding it amazingly comfortable. Maybe that was just the fact that she'd been either standing, walking... occasionally running... for the past couple of hours. If she wasn't careful she'd go right to sleep. There was a slight lurch as Blaine rolled out of the station and started to accelerate.

She turned to Alucard, standing erect in the center of the cabin. He didn't shake when it started moving. "Um, Alucard... Thank you for... For protecting me back there. I was scared when you raised your gun like that, but... Thank you."

He gave one of those disturbing grins, the ones that revealed his fangs. "Of course. Although, I always could have arranged the same thing for you that the police girl did for that friend of yours, the Izumi girl... I'm sure she told you."

Miyuki did remember. She remembered going to visit Konata when they thought she'd come down with a case of the flu. Back when they'd thought she was just as normal as they were. It had been quite an unusual illness, indeed... She shuddered. It was good that Alucard had such accuracy.

She noticed the drums fading away as they pulled out, and within a few seconds they couldn't even be heard anymore. Blaine ran smoothly over the tracks despite how old the entire system must be.

The front wall darkened, turning into a screen. A crooked line like a stock graph appeared, except each point was labelled. A flashing green light appeared at Lud, moving down the line towards Candleton. Then they'd go on to Rilea, someplace called "The Falls of The Hounds," Dasherville, and end in Topeka. Of all of those, only the last one sounded vaguely familiar. She thought maybe it was American, though she couldn't place it.

Alucard was still standing, remaining steady despite the ever-increasing speed. He read the map for a moment, then said, "Where do you suppose we get off?"

"I'M AFRAID WE WILL NOT BE COMING TO A STOP. THIS RIDE IS ONE WAY AND ONE WAY ONLY. ONCE THE TRACK ENDS, IT'S SEE YOU LATER, ALLIGATOR. IN A WHILE, CROCODILE. DON'T FORGET TO WRITE." Blaine's voice took on an odd quality, just barely detectable.

"What do you mean...?" Spike said.

"Your track... Is all of it still standing?" Miyuki hadn't been able to forget the other train. The blue one. It had been called Patricia, and it was now lying in the bottom of the river, underneath a long-collapsed stretch of metal railing.

"I CAN'T BE SURE. THOSE CIRCUITS SEEM TO BE MISSING. I WONDER WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THEM."

"No, that's insane. You can't just take us off and not know if it's even going to be safe..." Spike argued.

The fastest trains in Japan would usually travel at about 260 kilometers per hour, although Miyuki knew there were some in China that could go even faster. But Blaine was still speeding up, or at least it felt as if he was. Ever since he'd started talking, making these sarcastic comments, it was difficult to think of him as an "it."

"Excuse me, but... How fast exactly are we going?" Miyuki asked.

"WE WILL SOON REACH TOP SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY THIRTEEN HUNDRED KILOMETERS PER HOUR. FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS."

Of course, she was pretty sure Blaine knew perfectly well that they didn't have any. It was his sense of humor, apparently.

* * *

Chapter 33

Final Ride

* * *

Tsukasa didn't like the idea of sleeping in a public park each night. She especially did not want to get used to it - she felt so vulnerable out there, and might have even been breaking the law. It had just been last night, and nobody had caught them. The hotels in this city were all crammed with people, it seemed, and even if they hadn't been nobody had any money to pay for a room.

Out there somewhere, in a completely different universe, Kagami and Miyuki were both out there. Konata, too. Konata was still alive, as hard as that was to believe even now. It may be the middle of the day in this world, but for the others it could be anything. Three in the morning, five in the afternoon, who knew? She wondered what places they had found to stay.

"So what do we have? Tons of people who are going to be killed... when, exactly?" Kyon said.

Tsukasa glanced up at the people around them. A family walking past, two children and the parents, all had one day left. She saw a few men walk by alone, each with one day. A few people had two days still, and some didn't even have numbers at all. She hated what the COMP let her do. Her eyes fell to the sidewalk again, and she examined her shoes.

"Most of them... tomorrow," Tsukasa said quietly.

"We know what this is all about. It's that announcement their princess is going to make," Kamina said. "It's going to happen there, I know it is."

"More likely there's going to be riots or something. I don't know," Dante said. "Besides, not all of them are dying on the day of the announcement."

The worst part, Tsukasa had to agree, was not knowing what was going to happen. Still, _they_ didn't have numbers, and there were a few other people walking around who were going to be okay. Or at least not dead. If they kept going on as they were, nothing would change, right? The numbers didn't guarantee anyone was going to die; they'd found that out when they'd escaped the last world. But you still had to know what to do to change your fate.

"Here's the plan. We get as far away from here as possible, since that princess is coming here to make the announcement. And then we just go along on our way, doing our best not to offend anyone. Sooner or later we'll find a way out of this world and we'll be off to the next thing that's going to try to kill us," Kyon said.

"Works for me." Dante shrugged.

"Come on..." Kamina muttered. "There has to be some reason why Konata would make us come here. You're sure you just want to run away, tail between your legs, like some kind of worthless coward?"

"It's not like there's a reason we went to the last world. She's one of those obsessive otaku types. This is probably some video game she played once, something like that," Kyon said. "I just hope somebody else figured out where Haruhi is. I don't like to think what she might be getting into."

"No reason? What about the COMP?" Kamina said.

"No, that's..." Tsukasa said. "I don't like having it..."

"But thanks to that, we know that people are going to die here, and we just might be able to stop it. You're going to give up that opportunity?"

"Would you just let it go already?" Dante said. "They're not cut out for that kind of thing. And I just don't really care. We're letting it go. End of story."

As much as she wanted to forget about it, the numbers never went away. Tsukasa wondered if they would ever go away, or if she'd live with them for the rest of her life... No. As soon as she got home, she'd get rid of this thing, and if it was gone it couldn't affect her anymore. But so many people were going to die, she didn't like that either, and ignoring it wouldn't change anything.

"Let's... just get out of here, please?" she said.

"Sure. We'll just find the quickest way out of the city, and we'll be gone," Kyon said. "I'd prefer to go somewhere that people aren't going to die in large numbers."

* * *

"Listen, Blaine, or whatever your goddamn name is. This is insane. You're going to kill us all. That goes for yourself, too, doesn't it?" Spike tried to stand up to speak, couldn't get his balance, and fell back down shakily.

"I _AM_ INSANE. CRAZY. A FEW SCREWS LOOSE. OFF MY ROCKER. DERAILED, EVEN. METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING... FOR NOW."

Miyuki watched the chandelier swaying. At any moment, they might come to a place in the tracks where a section had fallen out, perhaps a long stretch, maybe even just a couple meters, but it would be enough that Blaine would go right off and they'd all...

No, Konata said she wouldn't let anything happen to them. There was no way she could really die, was there? Not here, not like this. A monorail going insane? The concept was ridiculous.

But Nagato had also said that Haruhi wasn't supposed to be able to control things in other universes with her normal ability, and if Konata still just had _her_ normal ability, then she couldn't change a thing from wherever she was right now. She couldn't just depend on Konata to fix this.

"Nagato, I don't suppose you have any way to stop this?" Spike said.

Nagato. Earlier she'd told Blaine a riddle, and he'd enjoyed it. But now she just shook her head.

"Excuse me, but... is there anything we could do for you, Blaine? You don't have to do this. We could... I'm sure Nagato knows more riddles, if you want..."

"Correct," Nagato said.

"HMM... AN INTERESTING BARGAIN, MIYUKI OF TOKYO. I WILL CONSIDER IT."

Spike was directly across from where Miyuki was sitting, with Nagato seated next to him. To judge by her facial expression, this might as well be the morning commute to school. Miyuki tried to think of it that way, remembering how she used to get off at her stop and then meet Kagami at the school... Konata as well, at least until a year ago.

"Nagato, I don't know, but... Isn't there anything else you can do? It seems a little risky to just try to..."

She shook her head, and spoke calmly back. "This world's data is corrupted."

"Right..." Miyuki said weakly. "Like you said before..."

"I do know a considerable amount of riddles, however. I've read them."

"I WOULD BE GLAD TO ENGAGE YOU IN A CONTEST... WHAT SHALL THE PRIZES BE?" Blaine paused for a moment, for dramatic effect more than anything, it seemed. "IF YOU CAN ASK ME A QUESTION THAT I CAN'T ANSWER, ALTHOUGH I KNOW EVERYTHING, I WILL TAKE YOU SAFELY TO THE NEXT STOP. IF NOT, WE WILL CONTINUE AS USUAL. AND THEN IT'S SEE YOU LATER, ALLIGATOR. IN A WHILE, CROCODILE. DON'T FORGET TO WRITE."

"Very well," Nagato replied.

Spike's head snapped around at her. "What? You're actually going to - "

Alucard cut him off. "It _is_ the only idea he's agreed to. Do you think you can do this, Nagato?"

"Chances of success cannot be calculated." Nagato's words almost sounded like a quieter version of Blaine. It was the kind of thing that he might say.

Miyuki thought again of how fast they were travelling. He'd probably need time to even come to a stop, though she was doubtful there was even a single question he wouldn't answer in seconds. Had taking the train been _her_ idea? Not entirely, but... She'd been so desperate to get out of the town, she'd completely given in to it. She'd activated Blaine after all those years. Nobody should have ever activated him.

"I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS VERY MUCH. LET US BEGIN."

* * *

Andy had strolled off towards the center of town, which was all well and good as far as Kagami cared. The house they'd been left at stood waiting for them. The name had been... Jaffords, that was it.

"So let's go ahead, then," Joshua said. He walked up to the door and raised his hand to knock a few times, a few brief taps.

"I don't know what we should say... What if they don't want us here?" Mikuru asked.

"Sure they'll take us," Joshua replied, stepping back to wait. "That metal guy, Andy or whatever, he seemed friendly enough. Less human than I prefer, but friendly all the same."

The door creaked open, and a man was standing there with a tired look in his eyes. He was probably about the same age as Kagami's father. Dull surprise came across his face, and he said, "Oh. I don't think I recognize you..."

"Andy said you could find us a place to stay," Rei said quickly. "You're Jaffords, right? We're passing through, we're from out of town."

"Hm. A place to stay, he says. That worthless old hunk of steel..." Jaffords let out a sigh, tensing for a moment. "Ah, well. You can't be blamed for it. I'd recommend you get out of here before too long. And call me Tian, there's no need for that kind of formality."

"We weren't planning to stay for long. It's no problem," Kagami said. "We just need to rest for the night. And something to eat probably wouldn't hurt either..."

He nodded, smiling grimly. "Well. Come on in, I suppose."

They came into the main room of the house, a sparsely decorated place. Kagami couldn't be sure if this would be considered maybe a middle-class, perhaps upper-class, residence out here. It all looked old-fashioned. That is, except for the robot, which Jaffords seemed used to. There were no electrical appliances in the house, not even lightbulbs, but there _had_ been Andy. They probably weren't in that post-apocalyptic America anymore. But she was also pretty sure they had never entered a different universe since Topeka, either.

"I'll be taking you down to Traveler's Rest. Closest thing we got to an inn here," Jaffords said. "You're welcome to stay there for a day or two. After that..."

"Do you mind if I ask why you want us out of here so quick?" Joshua said.

"It was almost a month ago now, Andy said the Wolves were coming back... Now we've only got a few days before they come. There's nothing to be done, it would be pointless to try to..." He shook his head.

A large woman lumbered into the room, who almost looked like Jaffords but was much larger. She looked at the four of them strangely, then said, "They?" It came out awkwardly, as if she had a mental deficiency of some sort. Kagami felt sorry for her.

"Visitors, Tia," Jaffords said. "I'll be taking them down to the inn." Tia left, satisfied with the simple response, and Jaffords turned back to them. "I apologize, that's Tia - my twin sister. Taken by the Wolves many years back..."

"What do you mean by that?" Rei said. "What are the Wolves?"

He sighed, not wanting to go through with an explanation. "They've been coming for many generations now," he started hesitantly. "I can't remember exactly..."

They were not animals, as he explained. Nor were they people, not in the regular sense. They came every generation or so (Tian had seen them on several occasions), riding horseback, carrying strange weapons, to take away roughly half of the Calla's children. Only one was taken from each set of twins, never any singletons. That word, "singleton," was unfamiliar, like many words he was using, but its meaning was clear enough.

"So they just kill the twins? How many are there, anyway?" Rei said.

Tian shook his head. "They don't kill 'em. It's much worse - they bring 'em back. And when all is done, about half our children are gone..."

"Bring them... back?" Mikuru said, quietly. "I don't understand what you..."

"Tia - the woman who was here just before - she's my sister. The Wolves took her at a young age. Before that, she was just like you or me, but now... She's a huge lumbering idiot, not fit for anything but menial chores out in the fields. Roont."

"That's a little harsh to say about your own sister," Kagami said.

"So it is," Tian agreed. "But it's the truth. She probably won't live much longer, they usually die after some years, screaming in agony..."

"Whoa," Rei said breathlessly. "What exactly do these guys do to them?"

"We're not sure. Take them back to Thunderclap - out in the wastes, far outside of the Calla - and then take something out of their brains, I figure."

That was an awful thought. Kagami stared out the window at the deep navy blue night sky, noting how many stars were out there. It was better than looking at Tian as he told them this story. It sounded like something out of a fantasy novel. Maybe more science fiction, based on what he said about their weaponry. But out in this world, it was probably truth.

And... everyone in the town had a twin, it sounded like. "Singletons" were rare.

What had it been? Almost... two days since she'd last seen Tsukasa. It felt like a lot longer. They'd never been separated for very long before. Kagami wondered if Tsukasa was doing okay... and couldn't help but wonder if she still had a twin sister left. If she'd gone anywhere like Silent Hill...

"So... You just let them come in?" Joshua said. "You know exactly when they're coming - "

"Andy tells us. He sets out for days at a time, always comes back with bad news - "

"Yes, but hear me out. You know exactly when they're coming, and you don't do anything about it. You could get ready for it, take all your children somewhere safe and fight them off. Surely you must have someone strong enough to take these guys down, just a few able-bodied men to challenge these guys."

"It only takes one Wolf to take down a few able-bodied men. True, some Calla-folken did kill one of them once..." Tian's voice trailed off. He sat in silence for a few moments. "We'll never try it again. If we let them go about their damned business they'll let the rest of us be."

"I believe we may be able to help you," Rei said. "We're actually quite experienced fighters. Better than what you have here, I'd be willing to bet."

"Wait, stop. You just mean the two of you," Kagami said, gesturing at her and Joshua. "I'm really not - "

"Hey, you've still got those guns, don't you? You were pretty good with those. I'm sure you'd be good at it."

"You're... gunslingers?" Tian said, putting strange emphasis on the word.

Rei nodded. "Exactly."

Kagami sat forward. "No, we don't have time to - "

Rei cut her off again. "Who else is going to help these people? It's just like me and Konata used to do out on missions together. And besides, you've got a twin sister, don't you? You should know exactly what it would be like if she was in danger. "

Kagami fell silent. Rei must have known that was on her mind. Tsukasa had nothing to do with this town, she was off in some other universe. But, then again, she could very well be in danger right now. If Kagami could do anything to help her, wouldn't she want to do it? And all these people in the town must feel just as helpless...

"Well? Me and Joshua can take most of them, but if you help cover us it would be great."

"Think this out. Are you willing to take this risk?" Tian said. "And if you must do it, stay far away from the town. If you fail, we don't want any trouble."

"I'm not sure exactly what how powerful we're talking, but I've fought inhuman enemies on multiple occasions. I'm become skilled at it. Maybe a touch of luck has something to do with it, but Rei and I should be just fine," Joshua said. "I'm not too worried about failure."

Kagami didn't say anything. Now she would feel guilty if she backed out. Tian just looked so hopeful at the prospect. Back in Silent Hill, when she'd first used those guns, it had been much easier than she thought it would be. The kickback and the power was greater than she'd expected, but every shot had made its mark. And they'd seemed to call to her somehow, like...

Saying Konata had somehow _willed_ her to become a capable fighter seemed crazy, but it also seemed like the most likely explanation. Hell, maybe she was one of those 'gunslingers' Tian was talking about. She had to hold back the half-crazed laughter at the thought.

"So let's check out this inn you were talking about," Joshua said. "Thanks for the hospitality."

* * *

"In a tunnel of darkness lies a beast of iron. It can only attack when pulled back. What is it?"

"A BULLET."

"What goes up and never comes down?"

"A SIMPLE QUESTION. IT IS THE AGE OF A MAN."

"What lives in winter, dies in summer, and grows with its roots upward?"

"AN ICICLE. NEXT QUESTION, PLEASE."

Nagato spoke in rapid fire, and Blaine's responses came just as quickly. He seemed to be enjoying himself, but not a single question could even cause him to stop to think. They were evenly matched, computer against computer, neither one's logic would ever outdo the other.

Spike made an effort to stand up, and stumbled across the cabin to Miyuki's side. He collapsed on the sofa next to her, and turned himself around. "It's no good. You had a great idea, but it's just no good."

"I'm terribly sorry..." she replied.

The rail map said they were just nearly at Rilea. Not quite half of the way to Topeka yet, and that was where the track would definitely end. Of course, there was a good chance that the track would be broken much earlier than that. They could crash at any moment, the force of the sudden stop would send them all flying towards the front of Blaine's cabin at about thirteen hundred kilometers per hour, and Miyuki didn't want to imagine exactly how that would look.

"It goes on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening. What is it?"

"AH, THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX, FROM ONE OF YOUR WORLD'S OLDEST LEGENDS... THE ANSWER IS A MAN."

As soon as Blaine leisurely stated the answer, Nagato was already asking another question without any sense of urgency in her voice. Surely she was aware of what the most likely outcome would be... Could she do anything else about this?

Miyuki tried to think if she could remember anything. She'd read a few books of riddles as a child, the exercise in logic was good exercise for her mind. She'd done nothing like that recently, and trying to recall anything during the current situation was nothing short of impossible. She certainly couldn't remember any time in her life that she'd been this scared.

Logic. No human could really hope to beat a computer at a game of logic, could they? Logic was all a computer had.

All Blaine had... Because he had no emotion, no ability to truly think like a human.

"What work can a man never finish?"

"AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. NO HUMAN WOULD BE ABLE TO WRITE ABOUT THEIR OWN DEATH."

Miyuki shuddered. Their own deaths would probably be soon, seeing as they were now approaching the next stop, the Falls of the Hounds. Why couldn't she think of anything? Usually recalling some fact, some story that she'd read, anything at all, it all came to her at a moment's notice. But now all she could think of was...

Konata. If Konata were here, she'd be able to stop this.

No, it was useless wishing that Konata could solve everything for her. That was impossible now. She'd already considered it.

Konata had always seemed so normal, never once suggesting that she was anything out of the ordinary. A dimensional traveler, or a godlike being, nothing like that. It had really been going on for two years? Miyuki remembered the conversations they used to have, back when things were normal. They just talked about nothing at all. You really didn't need to say anything important or meaningful with friends like that. People who could feel were so much better than these computers, weren't they?

And that one time, the end of their first year together, Konata had been talking about...

Miyuki realized how it sounded. It seemed so pointless to try. But as far as she knew, there was no answer...

Would it really work...?

"What is broken every time it is spoken?" Nagato said.

"IF YOU SPEAK THE WORD 'SILENCE,' IT WOULD FOLLOW THAT IT IS NO LONGER SILENT. YOUR QUESTIONS FAIL TO IMPRESS ME," Blaine replied. No hesitation. He seemed to be taunting them, having fun with his guests.

Nagato was about to ask yet another riddle when Miyuki, not entirely sure what she was doing, interrupted in what was the loudest voice she could manage.

"Which end of a chocolate cornet is the head?"

* * *

Edward Elric was in shock. The library, burned down the night before they'd arrived back in Central City. It couldn't be a coincidence. And that girl, who'd been caught as the place was going up in flames, then ran away and vanished into thin air? The whole thing was strange.

But more importantly, that one single book. Nobody could possibly understand what it was like... To be wandering around aimlessly for so long, then when they finally get a clue the thing's taken right out from under them? Unbelievable.

A few books had been recovered. Just a few boxes, not more than twenty books total. Few of them were interesting, and none of them were important. It was insane to think that the book they wanted would be safe, but it had been worth a shot to look through them. And, of course, nothing.

"What do we do next?" Alphonse asked him. They were walking away from headquarters, going nowhere in particular. Where could they start looking again, anyway?

He didn't want to look at Alphonse right now. Seeing the suit of armor that his soul was bound to just reminded him of the Philosopher's Stone. Right now it seemed like they'd never be able to create it, and that would mean that Al would never be human again.

"We'll think of some - " Edward stopped, and heard Al's clanking metal body come to sudden halt behind him. "That isn't the girl they were talking about, is it?"

Major Hughes had told them everything the state military knew about last night, and the most important detail of the account was that there had been a short girl with long dark hair seen exiting the library after the fires had been set. She'd stolen a book, and evaded arrest. She'd been lost after that, vanished into the night. And now someone matching the description he'd heard was walking briskly around, turning her head from side to side as if looking for someone.

And then she saw him.

She broke into a run, coming right up to him with a satisfied grin on her face. Her pace slowed as she approached and stopped right in front of him. The dark-haired girl stared at him for a while, taking in all the details. Her expression changed, but he couldn't begin to guess what she was thinking. Edward looked back at her, not saying a word. Finally, she spoke.

"You're taller than me..." Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm... sorry?" The statement caught him off guard.

"I don't believe it. You're actually taller than me," she repeated. "Just a couple centimeters, maybe, but still..."

It wasn't a greeting he was familiar with. Usually people were saying just the opposite. He couldn't even count the number of times Al, with his seven-foot-tall suit of armor he had for a body, had been mistaken for the "Fullmetal Alchemist," since everyone seemed to believe it was impossible for the famous Fullmetal to be someone so young and... and short, yes. They had a way of emphasizing how short he was.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl said. "It's just I'm kind of a fan of yours, I guess you could say. Anyway, I have something for you."

She held out a book towards him, a thick leather volume. Strange, he could have sworn she approached them empty-handed. Edward actually thought it looked significant until he saw what the title was.

"_1000 Recipes For Making Magic In The Kitchen_...?" he read, his mind going utterly blank. It seemed like a joke. "Oh, it is by Marcoh..."

"Wait. How did you know we were looking for a book by Dr. Marcoh?" Al said.

The girl's eyes darted nervously. "Well, I... Look, it doesn't matter. Actually, this _is_ the one you're looking for. I know what it looks like, but you'll figure it out. You're smart about these kinds of things. Everything you need to know should be in there."

Edward took the book from her, surprised by its weight. If she'd been carrying this when she'd approached them, he definitely would have seen it. But ignoring that, he opened it up. Just a bunch of recipes... Not alchemical formulas, just fancy dishes and quick, easy-to-prepare desserts. She had to be messing with them. Why did she even bother giving them a fake?

"You must have been at the library to find this..." he said, not looking up. "Are you sure there wasn't another book by Marcoh? A research journal, something like that?"

She shook her head, and pointed at the book he was holding. "That's it. I don't know exactly what it means, but you're smart. You'll figure it out, it's all in a code."

"Huh?" Ed went back to the recipes, picking out one at random. It looked normal enough, but maybe... He couldn't be sure of the exact meaning yet, but it did look suspicious. "Yeah, I think I see why... Of course he'd do something like this. It's really about - "

"The Philosopher's Stone. Yes."

Ed's mouth dropped open. How did this girl know so much? About them, about the Stone... she even knew what this book really was. Most people didn't even know who Marcoh was.

"Just one thing... I had to meet you in person, because I wanted to ask you..." she said suddenly. "After you've got the Stone, and you have all that power... What are you planning to do? Once you've got everything... what's next?"

"You mean..." Edward paused. Now that someone was asking him, what could he say? He suspected it might be a trick question or something, but she honestly seemed curious. "I guess... We just want things to go back to normal. First we'll get Al's body back, then my arm and leg... I guess that's all we really want to do."

"Just put everything back the way it was, and live a normal life. Fix your past mistakes. That's all you want with nearly unlimited power." She seemed to consider it for a moment. "You wouldn't do anything else with it? The Stone's incredibly difficult to make, and you could pretty much do whatever you wanted with it. That's really all?"

"That's really all we want," Al said. True enough, Edward thought he might be able to live with two automail limbs, but Al wasn't even human anymore. They were doing this for him more than anything. "There's nothing wrong with that."

She nodded. "No, you're right. After all you're going to have to do for this, I can understand why you'd just want to settle down. It makes sense, I guess I'd already thought of that... Uh... thanks." She turned around, and started walking quickly down the street away from them.

"Wait, who are you?" Ed called after her, but she just quickened her pace. Soon enough she was lost, they'd probably never see her again.

"That's really the book?" Al said, looking down at it.

"I... think so. I don't see why she'd give us a fake one," Edward replied. Usually when you met someone that strange, they knew exactly what they were doing.

* * *

Miyuki had tensed up, and she could feel her heart pounding. If the train wasn't moving so fast, she would barely be able to sit down. Surprisingly, Blaine had remained quiet since she asked her question. It seemed so foolish now. He wasn't going to respond. But nobody was talking, they all just seemed to be watching her...

"It's your own rules. She asked you the question. Now you have to answer it," Alucard said. "Unless you forfeit the competition to us."

"THE QUESTION WAS NOT WORTHY OF OUR COMPETITION. NEXT QUESTION, PLEASE," Blaine insisted.

Nagato was about to comply and come back with another riddle, but Alucard interrupted her. "No. I believe you were asked a question, and you have to answer that one first. Unless you are choosing to give up?"

"NO!" The word boomed out even louder than Blaine's usual volume. "THE QUESTION WAS NOT FAIR, YOU MUST ASK ME - "

"Why do people who dislike horror movies seem to watch so many of them?" Blaine didn't understand these questions, if she asked enough of them, then... "Why do restaurants always place the restrooms near the smoking section?" Miyuki no longer cared if she sounded ridiculous. It actually seemed like Blaine was hurt by these questions, for some reason he just couldn't handle them. The last time she'd felt so determined on something like this was when Konata had let her borrow that brain-training video game...

"THESE QUESTIONS ARE MEANINGLESS, DATA IS INSUFFICIENT - "

"Why am I too scared to go to the dentist even when my teeth are hurting?" Bits and pieces of old conversations with Konata were coming back. Things that she'd said, a few things that Kagami or Tsukasa had talked about as well... "Why are people with lower intelligence thought to be less susceptible to colds?"

Blaine's voice began rattling off words, phrases, some of them mathematical formulas, others sounded like simple poems and rhymes. As it went on, it lapsed into multiple languages, then into an unintelligible screaming.

And that was when the route map - which had been showing a small green dot coming towards the end of the line into the Topeka station - exploded. Miyuki flinched, but nothing came towards her. Shards of glass littered the floor, sliding backwards down the floor to collect at the back of the cabin. Blinking lights flashed on and off in random patterns on an exposed transistor board.

"The engine's still - " Miyuki was about to warn them that although Blaine seemed to be dying, committing suicide, maybe, the engines were still rolling and they were headed for the end of the line.

Alucard had already taken out his revolver to fire a few quick shots into the window where the map had been. The rounds were explosive; Blaine's inner workings were ripped apart. A burning smell filled the cabin, something that reminded Miyuki somehow of cold days in autumn. Maybe she'd live to see another day like that -

"I HATE YOU!" Blaine's voice cried out one last time. It became a childish repetition. "I HATE YOU!"

"I think we all feel the same way," Spike said, trying to be calm but with a strong hint of fear in his voice. He glanced around nervously as the train began to shake.

Grinding sounds started coming up from beneath them, and Miyuki felt herself fall over towards her right. They were slowing down. The engines must have given out, they were just sliding along the track now. Probably still very fast, but the friction was setting in and they might stop soon. As long as the remaining track could take that force. How close were they to the station?

"Now, Miyuki, I have _no_ idea why you decided to start talking about those things, but thanks. Let's just agree never to talk about this - " Spike couldn't finish his sentence before they were all thrown violently forward.

The chandelier fell from the ceiling, and the other lights flickered off leaving the cabin almost completely dark. They stayed low for a moment, not sure what would happen next.

"Trip's over," Alucard said calmly.

A reverberating bang came next, a flash of light shining down from overhead like a spotlight. And in that light, they could see a ladder that fell out and dangled there.

"The emergency exit, I suppose," Spike said. He stood up, legs wobbling from the shock. Miyuki didn't think she could stand at all. "How nice of North Central Positronics to give this godforsaken death trap safety measures like that."

"We're... This is Topeka?" Miyuki said.

"I think we made it all the way there, yeah," Spike replied. "Are you coming out?"

"Y-yes... I'll be right there."


	34. Stargazers

Topeka was not nearly as old as Lud had been. The station didn't seem as alien, either. It was more like an old-fashioned train station, older than the ones in Tokyo, that was for sure... Actually, other than Blaine being docked here, Miyuki would have guessed it wasn't a station for him at all. Was this the same world?

Spike jumped down from the top of the cabin, where they'd climbed out the emergency exit. Alucard and Nagato were already down. "Good to be back on solid ground again. It'll probably be years before I can ride a train again, but at least we still have years left, right?"

Miyuki would have to agree. Even if she were to go to the Akihabara station with Kagami and Tsukasa again, like they usually did, she would most likely jump out of her skin if a voice came over the speakers to announce the next train was leaving or to announce a delay. That would be terribly embarrassing...

"Are you coming down?" Spike called up to her.

She realized she'd sunk down onto her knees on top of the now-dead (deactivated?) Blaine. It was a short but still considerable jump down to the platform.

"Y-yes..." Miyuki said. "I'll be right there..."

She started to shake, and tried to compose herself. Then she lowered herself slowly over the slanted roof and dropped down suddenly. Spike tried to lunge forward to break her fall, but she somehow managed to land on her feet, stumbling just a little. Picking herself up, she raised her head to take in the station they had landed in. She still felt so dizzy from the train ride.

"It's quite different from Lud," she remarked. "It doesn't seem as old... But this station isn't as technologically advanced as the other one was."

"I've given up trying to understand what's going on," Spike said. "And whatever you did to Blaine to make him act the way he did, thanks for that, but we'll never speak of it again."

She took one final look behind her at the pink vehicle sitting in the tracks. It would probably never move again, and she found that fact relieving. In any case, she'd never come back here again.

"He... it... must have been sitting in that town for so long with nobody to operate it," Miyuki said. "And those drums kept playing... I think he must have gone insane over all that time..."

Nagato said nothing.

"Shall we see how things are in Topeka?" Alucard offered, standing by the entrance to the station. To his left was a blue metal box labelled for the Topeka Capital-Journal. The front window was covered in a layer of dust.

Nagato didn't say a word and followed him. As Miyuki passed by the newspaper dispenser, she saw the disturbing headline saying something about a superflu epidemic. Something about it was unsettling and she didn't want to take a closer look. Maybe it was just the fact that they'd been hearing those drums for several hours, and then been stuck with Blaine and his deep, booming voice, but Topeka seemed unnaturally quiet. An epidemic...

The inside of the station was huge and deserted. It took her a few minutes to realize what the two dark shapes on a bench against the far wall were, but then she realized.

"Those are bodies," she said quietly.

"Long deceased," Nagato said. "It appears they were naturally mummified."

"I guess that's our welcoming committee. God, we need to get out of here..." Spike said. Miyuki heard the click of his lighter and smelled the tobacco burning in his cigarette. "There's nothing useful here, is there?"

True, there wasn't much in here except some litter and those dead bodies. If they were mummified, they'd obviously been dead a long time, and if they hadn't been moved... It proved what the paper had said about the superflu. And it was much worse than an epidemic, there must have been no survivors. Nobody was left to clean up everything and return to normal life. Or whatever could be normal after something so horrible.

"What are we doing here?" Miyuki said, just staring straight ahead at those bodies.

"Nagato. Are you sure this is the same world that Lud was in? It seems different." Alucard looked around with an expression of distaste. "Whatever happened here was not what happened to Lud."

"Correct."

Miyuki waited for Nagato to continue, but that was all she said. "There aren't any... I don't know, diseases or anything... still in the air, are there?"

"The air here is clean. Low pollution residue."

They continued out of the station once they found the front doors. The roof had leaked sunlight faintly into the building, but outside it was fairly bright with a few clouds. Everything was silent. There weren't even any birds in the park across the street, which had grown unattended into a thick jungle. There were just a few cars parked along the street. Miyuki noticed somebody sitting in a green truck. Dead, obviously - for who knows how many years.

She'd thought that Topeka sounded familiar as an American name that she'd heard once, and the flags in front of the station confirmed it. At one point there must have been fifty or so American flags flying in front of the building, but now just a few were left hanging on. Nobody had raised them since they'd been lowered to half-mast. That must have been for all the people dying... How awful.

"Damn it. What if the way out was back in Lud? Blaine must've taken us thousands of miles off course... And I'm going to agree with Alucard here. We probably passed into some other world in the middle of that. I didn't think you could do that, but we just did," Spike said. "What the hell is this?"

"It almost makes you miss that... excitement that ran into us back in the last town," Alucard said.

"Not quite. Those people were crazy. Jesus, I don't even know if they _were_ people - "

"The door's over there," Nagato said.

It was in the middle of the street. Like the one that Kagami and her group had been sent to, Miyuki realized. Just out in the middle of the road, except in Topeka the cars weren't going to drive through it anymore. It just sat there waiting for them. Even not knowing where it would lead, even knowing that the last time they'd used one of these it had taken them to Lud... The sight of it was still enough to fill Miyuki with hope.

"We weren't so off-course after all," Alucard said. "Who would like to do the honors?"

Spike sighed. "You know, I'm sick of this whole deal... Konata, please don't screw it up this time." He stopped, then laughed at himself. "Wow, I'm actually starting to treat her like she really is a god or something. We've been out here too long."

They crossed through the gateway. Miyuki found she was still feeling strangely optimistic.

* * *

Chapter 34

Wander Between The Worlds

* * *

Everything going back to normal, being human again, living a normal life, swearing off unlimited power even when it was right in your hands. Konata had run these all through her mind dozens of times as she walked to the train station, going at an easy pace and taking the long way around.

She honestly didn't think those ideas sounded too bad, really.

As much as she enjoyed achieving heroic feats and gaining magic powers in different universes, she found she preferred the version of herself that appeared in the Lucky Star manga. She was much more cut out for just being a fan of those animes than actually being a part of them. Not that she hadn't been good at it, but really she just liked the laid-back lifestyle of fun irresponsibility.

The magic powers were okay. Being God wasn't really so much. She could call up flames at any moment, or heal minor injuries on the battlefield with a wave of her hand, but no matter how much she wanted to change reality and just find the doorway out of here, she couldn't just do that. And she really wanted to find the way out right now.

Find Haruhi, take her back home. Then go back and get Kagami, Tsukasa, and Miyuki... If she could focus in on Haruhi, she could do the same for the others. Then they'd all go home.

If she drilled that into her mind enough, maybe it would happen. That was exactly the problem, she had no clue what her powers were going to do next. Things had been so much easier before she had... well, before she _knew_ about them, at least.

When Konata finally reached the station, which was so large it was hard to miss, she had to hesitate for a while. The plan was to choose a train, any of them, really, and get out of town. It didn't matter where. Someplace remote that wouldn't have gotten the news about the library. Hopefully Edward might put in a good word for her innocence, but there was still a risk they'd try to arrest her. The fact was more annoying than scary. She was oddly used to breaking the law.

The crowds were thick, and the smoky smell of the trains was overpowering. This technology was roughly a hundred years old by Konata's standards, and she really preferred the electric trains more. Modern Tokyo... what a pleasant thought.

A few state alchemists were standing around, but they seemed to be off-duty. Or at least irresponsible. They didn't take much notice of her, or maybe just didn't even make the connection of who she was. Surely they must have been told... But as long as nothing was happening, she turned away from them and continued looking for the others. Junpei would be easy to spot, he was the only one wearing a baseball cap in this entire universe...

"Oh, there you are," she heard. Koizumi's voice. Konata turned around to see his oddly cheerful face. "Everything went alright, I presume?"

"Yeah. I found both of them. They've got the book," she replied. "So did you get together the money for tickets? Where are we headed?"

"I don't think any of us could answer that," Koizumi said. "You made another door pop up right in the station. We've been waiting for you."

"Whoa, seriously?" It had happened again; as always, she had no idea when she must have conjured it up. Maybe it had been here since they'd entered. They'd never come into the station before anyway.

As they continued moving through the crowd, she saw that navy blue baseball cap, and recognized Jason standing there too. Behind the two of them was a solid wooden door, just sitting by the wall. Not set _into_ the wall, but about a meter in front of it. The way that it just appeared so real was still so strange, coupled with the fact that she'd wished it into existence.

"Konata," Jason said. "Looks like you're okay. Good."

"We've been waiting for hours, what happened?" Junpei said.

"Sorry. It's a big city, it was hard to find them... But we're done here now, so let's go," Konata said. She had already gone up to open the door and leave. This one probably went to Haruhi, she'd been focusing so hard on that goal that it would have to work. Please, she thought, trying to direct it at the door. There's really nothing else I want right now... Just let this all be finished.

"Hold on, you're going already?" Jason said. "You're ready to go?"

"Why not? We're finished here," she said. As the door swung out towards her, the familiar blackness appeared in front of her. The first time it had been a little strange walking right into it, but now she didn't hesitate.

Junpei watched her as she stepped through, and turned to the others. "Guess we're leaving now. Hm, I guess that was interesting..." He took a final look around the station.

"Looks like nobody noticed her..." Jason said, watching the crowd. "Usually we're able to control where we exit a world, and make sure it's somewhere remote. Should we risk it?"

"We'll all go at once and we won't be around if anybody freaks out," Junpei said, shrugging. "I kind of like her style."

* * *

They'd set up a makeshift firing range on the outskirts of town. A crudely drawn paper target - as circular as they could make it - was posted on an old tree. A few holes were scattered about the center region. Kagami was a bit frightened by her own aim, she'd taken those shots from a good ten meters away.

Rumors traveled fast in this small town. As soon as Kagami had waken up and greeted the others outside Traveler's Rest, she already noticed people watching them and speaking in hushed tones. A few kids had come up to her and asked her if she really was a gunslinger, one of the legendary ones from Gilead. She thought that was in the Middle East somewhere; she wasn't sure. There were those villagers who seemed all too glad to have them in the Calla (they called it 'the Calla,' not just a town), but there were still others who gave them silent looks that seemed to urge them to leave, let the town be invaded and don't ask for any more trouble.

Kagami slipped six more rounds into the cylinder, and rolled it back closed. She cocked the gun, and raised it to aim towards the tree. Bracing for the impact of the fire, she tightened her grip on the polished wood handle and squeezed her eyes closed. As it fired, she realized the mistake and was certain it must have gone far off the mark, missing the tree entirely. That was when she noticed the smoking hole directly in the center.

"Whoa," she said, squinting to make sure she'd seen that right.

Practice - just practice. It seemed unnecessary when she could have such dumb luck like that, but it made her feel better. Back in that gun store, she must have scooped up more ammo than she realized. She really did have a lot of extra cases just to use for target practice out here. And maybe while she was at it, she should just try reloading the gun a few times, emptying it out... It was so hard to put those bullets in without a steady hand. The last thing she needed was to drop her ammo in the middle of a fight.

She was actually going to be in the middle of a fight? Just walking out there willingly to try to kill these things? _Why?_

Kagami sighed. That was why she had to practice, because she'd resigned herself to this. As she thought of it, she checked her current supply. The red bag sat on the ground near her feet. She could have been sure that the text on the faded logo had said "Mid-Town Lanes" when she found it, not "Mid-World." It sounded like something out of a fantasy novel now... But what was this, anyway? She ignored it for now and examined her supply. Maybe it would be good to take a break for a while.

But those Wolves (whatever they were) were going to come in a matter of days. The exact time wasn't certain. It could be tomorrow, it could be four or five days. All they knew was that it was soon. And how strong were they? Rei and Joshua were from Eclipse, they could handle a lot. Back home, in... Lucky Star, that's what Konata had started calling it... Those demons hadn't been any trouble for her. If that was the strength of an Eclipse member, what could really stand against them?

But Kagami wasn't quite sure where she fell. Being able to shoot straight was one thing. Having true combat experience and enhanced superhuman abilities was another.

"Oh. There you are, Kagami," Rei said. "We were looking all over for you."

She lowered the gun from the target (noticing that she had been holding it with just one hand now, not even bracing it with the other anymore) and turned around. Rei was coming from town, with Mikuru tagging along close behind.

"Hey. I was just getting some extra training in..." Kagami said.

"I saw that. Good for you," Rei said, nodding approvingly. "I was trying to get Joshua to practice with me earlier, but he's been with some of the guys playing cards... He always used to do that when we stopped in a town." Kagami figured she was talking about that war that they'd fought in with Konata. Rei suddenly seemed to remember what she'd come for. "Oh, yeah! We talked to Gran-pere Jaffords just now..."

Kagami remembered hearing the name. "You mean Tian's father? The one who..."

"He said that he fought the Wolves back when he was nineteen..." Mikuru said. "He had... He had a few friends who tried too, but all of them..."

"He was the only survivor," Rei finished. "He doesn't look like much now, but he was probably a total badass in his day. Anyway, he told us how he did it."

Kagami had been hoping for some kind of a strategy, but she didn't like the fact that whatever they'd done had left only one person standing in the end. "Is that... so," she said. "How did they manage it?"

"So you know how they said these guys come in on horses, and they're all wearing green cloaks?" Rei said. "Apparently somebody threw their weapon, it was some kind of throwing disc or something, and it hit the guy right on the head." She demonstrated with a hand, passing it over the top of her hair so that her palm just grazed the surface. "And get this - it knocked off some sort of satellite dish thing on their heads. Once that's gone, they're done."

"That's it, huh?" Kagami said. She knew it would be much harder than it sounded.

"Yeah, that's it," Rei replied. "I thought these guys might be wearing masks or something, but it turns out they're just robots. Like Andy, except they won't sing songs or give you your horoscope. Weird, huh?"

Kagami paused. "I just could've sworn we were in a completely normal version of America. I mean, ignoring the plague and everything. I thought it would all be like that. But there are these people here who live like it's two hundred years ago or something, but they also have robots and can't explain where they came from? I can't even figure out what time it's supposed to be..."

"It doesn't seem like it's..." Mikuru's voice trailed off. "I'm sorry, it's... classified. But this hasn't happened... where I'm from, I think I can say that much..."

"Probably just some completely other version of the world. We could've ended up somewhere much stranger than this. You guys can consider yourselves lucky," Rei said.

"Sure. But... just one thing. Exactly how good are you at this kind of fighting? Compare what you heard about the Wolves to, say... The demons that attacked my world. You were there, weren't you?" Kagami asked.

"Yeah, I'd say it sounds like it's going to be..." Rei thought for a moment. "Yeah, I'd say it's sounding like they'll be a bit tougher than those guys were. But hey! It's no problem for me and Joshua. You just give us some covering fire from behind, and everything's good. We won't let anything come near you."

"What about me?" Mikuru said.

"I think you should probably stay back in the town," Kagami said. She was beginning to think maybe she wanted to be there too. But... no. No matter what the truth was, the people in the Calla believed she was an experienced gunfighter, some sort of heroic figure, and as weird as that was she didn't want to dash their hopes. "But really, how many people were with him when they did this?"

"I don't know, exactly. I think he said five or six others?" Rei said.

"And they all got killed."

"Quite horribly," Rei said. "But we won't. I mean, they had very little experience at fighting. And they didn't even know about those radar dishes when they went in. So we're going to be just fine."

"If you say so," Kagami said. She picked up the bag, gave one last look at the target... She had done pretty well. On a stationary target, that is, a target that wouldn't try to kill her. They started off back towards the town.

"Hm... I'm still relatively new to the whole hand-to-hand combat thing. Joshua's great at it, but..." Rei noticed the look of dismay on Kagami's face. "No, I'm still perfectly capable! It's just that I'm not as good at it as Konata or Joshua."

"Speaking of which, we should probably find him," Kagami said. "You said he was - "

"Hanging out at the tavern, playing cards," Rei finished. "I don't even know what he's betting with..."

"Does it matter? He needs to hear this too. Let's go find him."

* * *

"This is the Tokyo Settlement." Kyon stated this as a fact, one that they'd heard earlier while asking around.

"Seems so," Dante agreed.

"But this isn't Japan. It's Area 11. Which is in the same place, only it's ruled by Brittania."

"As far as I understand, yeah."

It had taken them a long time just to figure out where they were, and what the next step should be. Usually when they asked somebody where they were, they got looks like they must be crazy. A few people had been casting odd glances towards Kyon and Tsukasa, more so than the other two wearing the flashy outfits. All in all, it had taken them another entire day. Precious time. At least Kamina had resigned himself to survival instead of heroism.

"I think we should stop trying to understand this... How much time do we have left? They didn't start that special announcement thing yet, did they?" He looked at Tsukasa.

"Um..." She looked around at a few people walking by. They were on the city's outskirts, as far as they could tell. It didn't look anything like the Tokyo she was familiar with. Hearing that this was supposed to be Tokyo came as a shock to her.

Gunshots in the distance. Rapid fire popping sounds. Machine guns.

"I don't like that noise," Kyon said. He sounded strangely calm.

Dante drew his twin pistols. "Damn it. Are they starting already?"

The way he'd said "starting already." Like he was talking about a birthday party instead of, as it seemed it would be, mass murder.

"Damn it!" Kamina shouted. He'd been silent for a long time, with a disquieted, contemplative look on his face. The sudden outburst was enough to make Tsukasa flinch. "We're too late... If we'd only known what was going to start all this...!"

"It was that announcement, wasn't it? That Princess isn't as great as people seem to think," Dante said. "Simple as that." There was more intermittent gunfire in the distance.

"From what we heard, I really doubt that it was the Princess' fault," Kyon said. "There was nothing we could do, we've got no idea what was going to go wrong with it."

"Um... which way are those sounds coming from?" Tsukasa said. She had taken out the COMP and was holding it close to her, defensively, less scared of it than she was of those gunshots. "We should get away..."

"That would be smart, yeah," Kyon said.

More sounds from the other direction now, sounding closer. They were joined by an explosion, and far away some thick black smoke began to rise.

"Damn it... Which way do we go, then?"

"Where are we trying to get to?" Dante said. There was no concern in his voice, just mild annoyance.

"Away," Kyon replied. "Anywhere. As fast as possible, before this gets any worse."

Tsukasa had seen all those numbers. Lots of people were scheduled to die today, and since they'd been unable to change anything, it was all just going to happen. These scattered sounds of fighting were just the beginning of something much bigger, and somehow she thought Tokyo (or the Tokyo Settlement, part of Area 11) was going to be the center of it.

Area 11... Why did that sound familiar? Konata... Yes, Konata had said something about it once. At least, Tsukasa thought maybe it had been Area 11, it was something with a number.

"Konata would know what to do..." she said in a low voice.

"Maybe so," Kamina said. "Eclipse always had a way of knowing when things like this were going to happen. And Konata watched so many of those shows in your world, she knew about some of them before Eclipse even said anything."

"Because it's all anime..." Tsukasa said. It was becoming too much for her. She just wanted to be home, even though Konata had said _that_ was going to be an anime too. "I don't want to do this anymore..."

Kyon was staring down the street, seeming to ignore her now. She managed to lift her head enough to see what it was. A large purple shape, arms and legs becoming visible as she looked at it. It was humanoid, but with oddly sharp angles. And from this distance, it must be... Quite a few meters high, it was hard to say exactly.

"Giant robots." For once, Kyon's voice actually trembled a little. He had somehow passed the state of shock and entered something even deeper.

"You've gotta be shitting me," Dante said.

There was a flash of light, and for a moment Tsukasa was completely sure that they'd been hit by a bomb, the explosion had gone off so quickly that they hadn't even heard it, now it was all over... But the whiteness was gone quickly, and something huge and red was standing in front of them.

"Nothing to worry about. We can play at that if they want to," Kamina said.

The robot he'd summoned was about the size of the one they'd seen down the street, give or take a few meters in height. Not like those huge ones in the series Konata and her dad really liked. Not a Gundam. Still, it looked like there might be a place for a pilot to sit in it, somewhere behind the huge pointed sunglasses and fanged smile.

"This is the Gurren. The cockpit might be a little cramped for the four of us, but it'll do."

"What the hell? You had this with you all along? Where was it back in that last universe?" Dante was incredulous, staring at Kamina, then taking his eyes back to the robot.

The others down the street seemed to take notice of them. And the sounds of gunfire were getting more frequent. It looked like the other ones - the dark purple robots, holding huge machine guns that must be the source of that noise - were gliding towards them, not walking. Maybe they had wheels or something...

"Tsukasa found that COMP to fight the demons with. That world was her chance to prove herself," Kamina said. "I wasn't going to step in and do everything for her, you know. She had to learn."

"Tsukasa isn't _supposed_ to fight," Kyon argued. "You could've brought this thing out and broken through the goddamn blockade if you wanted to!"

"So we'll do it this time," Kamina said, nodding calmly. A grin had come across his face. "And, Tsukasa, if you could get those friends of yours ready to come out if we need them... We should get going. Looks like they've noticed us. Let's hurry up."

"God _damn_ it," Dante swore under his breath. "I already knew you were insane. This is too far."


	35. The Gunslinger

When Kagami woke up in her room at the inn the next day, she found fresh clothes waiting for her. There was a light blue shirt - wool, she thought, from the sheep that they raised here, but the fabric was light and comfortable. Also a pair of jeans. Obviously there were no tags on them, these had been handmade in the Calla. It was a thoughtful gesture for them to give her these, and she'd been wanting to change into something fresh after being on the move for so long.

After changing into them, she found they fit her pretty well. The people in this village were skilled at this kind of thing, and they obviously had made everything they owned by hand. Living in urban Japan for so long, Kagami realized she'd never seen this many handmade products before. There really did seem to be something special about it.

She stood there silently for a while, wondering what was in store for today. Noticing her hair ribbons on the dresser, she considered tying up her hair... It was easy enough in this world. If she got back home and it really had turned into some sort of anime, her dexterity would take a hit. Konata had no problem with it, but Kagami's coordination just got so off. One good thing about this world, as strange everything else was - her hair wasn't purple.

Eventually Kagami decided she was just going to skip that for today. She actually was starting to think she looked more grown-up with her hair straight. Once she moved in at college, she was going to start wearing it like that every day. If she ever got there.

College. That sounded good right about now. She was in the mood to sit through a boring class and do homework reports. But she was practicing gunfighting instead of law now... How the hell had _that_ happened?

There was a knock at the door. "Kagami, are you up yet?" She recognized Rei's voice. "Rise and shine!"

"Oh, um... Yeah. I'm up," she called. She went over and opened the door.

Rei was fully dressed, and Kagami noticed she had on her belt with the inactive beam katana hooked on to it. "We need to get ready, and quick. Andy said the Wolves are already on their way."

"Andy...?" Kagami had to think it over for a minute. She was barely awake and her thoughts were scrambled. "How did he know about this? How long do we have, anyway?"

"Not long. Come on, get your stuff ready. This is what you've been training for, isn't it?"

Sadly, Kagami realized, it was. She didn't have to say anything.

Turning around, she picked up her bag sitting there on the floor against the dresser. _Nothing But Strikes At Mid-World Lanes, _it read. _Nothing but strikes... Let's hope so,_ she thought. She checked the cylinders of both revolvers in an almost automatic motion that she'd developed quickly over the past few days, and slipped in three more shots into one of them. It always felt better to keep them fully loaded... It wasn't paranoid if you really were in danger, right?

"Sure. Let's head out. So where's our position?" she said, closing the bag as she left the room. Her voice was flat, resigned.

"We'll be a ways out from the edge of town. We're not letting anyone near the town's borders," Rei said. She was trying to sound serious, but couldn't keep a grin off her face. "This is going to be so fun, it's just like me and Konata used to do together!"

"So it is. At least you're feeling good about this."

"You can just cover us from the back. You've got ranged weapons, anyway. Me and Joshua'll take the front lines."

_I'm really going to do this,_ Kagami told herself yet again. If she had any sense, she'd be turning around right now. Leave it to the experts, this wasn't her place. But she wasn't. _Do I even_ care _what happens anymore?_

* * *

Chapter 35

Beyond Our Reach, Out of Control

* * *

This kind of clean, fresh outdoor smell was something Konata was familiar with stepping into. The first time that she'd left Lucky Star to go into the mountains from Castlevania, every time she'd left the dorms in Iwatodai on a boring night to train in the open fields from that old MMO game... The thick smell of the train smoke vanished instantly and was replaced with a pure smell of a time before trains and cars were common. It was a good feeling.

She frowned. "I don't see anyone around here..."

They were in a forest somewhere. Thick tree trunks were sticking up out of some low-lying bushes. They weren't very thick, but it was hard to see where the exit was. The sun was shining down through the branches up ahead, and the light was pretty warm. Instinctively she tried to deduce what time of year it might be, and decided on late spring, maybe summer. The heat wasn't too intense. Maybe it was June.

One by one, she heard the others arrive behind her. It was quiet enough to hear faint footsteps on the grass.

Junpei let out a sigh as he looked around. "No good, then?"

"I tried..." Konata replied. How was she supposed to find anyone, any of them at all, if even total concentration didn't help her? She thought she had the perfect image of her in her mind, imagining the pure essence of who Haruhi was... "How long is this going to keep happening?"

"It's possible that Suzumiya may be elsewhere in this world. I'm feeling a faint sense..." Koizumi paused. "I can't be sure if that's really her. It's a very weak feeling."

Konata turned to look at each of them. She could see slight differences in their appearances from how they'd looked in the last world. The style of the eyes, the shapes of the hair. Maybe if she saw somebody who lived in this world she'd be able to place it, but for now nothing rang any bells.

"There's a road over there," Jason said. "Same thing we usually do, then?"

Of course. When there was a path, you followed it. Because it felt good to have some sense of direction. Konata didn't believe Haruhi was really here, because if she had managed to take them to the right place they'd probably end up standing right in front of her. Same went for Kagami or the others. They'd stepped out of the door into a quiet, peaceful, and admittedly dull forest, and that meant it was probably another wrong turn. How was she supposed to get in control of this power, anyway? It was impossible.

"Yeah. We'll follow it," Konata said. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't interested to find out where it led.

"How many more times do you think this is going to happen?" Junpei said. "It feels like forever since we were at school. I didn't think I was ever going to say this, but... I kind of want to go back, even if Mitsuru-senpai yells at us. After all this, it doesn't seem so bad."

"Without the Talismans working, there's no telling when you'll be able to go back to that world," Jason said. "Of course, there's always a very slight chance that we'd meet somebody from Eclipse that would help us out. There's still a few other people I know who would understand the situation if I explained it. _If_ we can find them, that is... And the chances aren't good."

"Seems like a good plan," Koizumi said. "If they gave you one of those Talismans, you'd be able to use it even though you're no longer authorized by your organization, correct?"

"If we worked fast so that we weren't caught, yeah," Jason agreed. "There's no way to figure out where Haruhi and the others are, but we'd at least be able to go back to the Persona world for Junpei, and go back to Lucky Star just to explain what's going on - "

"It's a much more reliable way to get around than what I'm doing, that's for sure," Konata said. "I don't even know if - "

She stopped walking, and stared straight ahead.

"What?" Jason said, coming up behind her. "Is something wrong?"

"Up ahead. There's a building there," Konata said.

It was an old-fashioned Japanese building - several, in fact. The slanting blue-tiled roofs were all identical, as were the almost featureless white walls. Screens were on all the windows. There was a high wall around about three buildings, and there were enough trees in there to make it look like a slightly thinned-out section of the forest. And it all seemed somehow familiar...

"Interesting. Do you suppose we've entered the past? Or perhaps just an isolated area..." Koizumi said. "Do you suppose we should go in, or should we keep our low profile?"

Konata ignored him, trying to place the building in her memory. She closed her eyes, trying to recall it.

"Konata? You okay there?" Junpei said.

She replied with two words: "Rurouni Kenshin."

* * *

They had arrived in another city, but this one was much more familiar. Miyuki didn't think she'd ever been here before, but it was obviously Japanese judging by the signs on the buildings. Nobody was out on the streets this late at night, but a few lights were still on. This place was inhabited. It might even be normal. It sure was quiet, at least, but in a comforting way.

"Hm. I don't believe it," Spike said. "This doesn't look so bad. I don't quite think we made it back to your world, Miyuki, but it's a step up from Lud, that's for sure. We've averted a potential apocalypse and outwitted a loony monorail, what do you think this place has for us?"

"Hopefully nothing like that..." Miyuki said. "Maybe there's nothing here. Maybe it's just a normal world..."

"I cannot detect Suzumiya's presence in this universe," Nagato said.

Spike stretched his arms lazily and stared over at her. "Does it matter? Let's take it easy for a bit."

Miyuki liked that idea. If they'd landed somewhere safe, she would like to rest for a while before moving on. Of course, Negi's world had appeared safe at first glance, but she had a good feeling about this one. And Nagato wasn't alerting them to anything dangerous, just the fact that this world might not be what they were looking for, like the others had been.

"Very well," Alucard said. He'd taken off his goggles, and the red tint in his eyes could be seen more clearly. It was just as disquieting as those huge empty circles had been, but Miyuki at least knew she could trust him. They'd gotten through that last ordeal together. He took a look around, breathing in the cool night air. "Perhaps we should find a place to stay?"

"Yes... I agree," Miyuki said idly.

True, it was supposed to be night here, but it felt like the late afternoon. Of course, before they'd been in that last world for just barely two days they'd been in Negi-sensei's world, and the time there had been... She couldn't even remember. It was like jet lag, only worse. She couldn't even determine how many hours her internal clock was off by.

A car drove past with its brights on. It was the only one on the road. Whoever was driving probably didn't have a clue where the four people standing on the sidewalk had just come from. At a passing glance, nothing suggested anything truly odd about them. And they definitely weren't going to say anything about Blaine, or Topeka, or anything. It all sounded insane. They were just going to act like normal people... This must have been what it was like for Konata every day, Miyuki realized. Every single day from the beginning of their second year of school to the night she was murdered.

"We got any money?" Spike said all of a sudden, the thought just occuring to him. "If anywhere's open this late, I'm starving. They'd accept yen here, by the looks of it."

Miyuki remembered how much she was starving as well. "I don't have any with me... I mean, it's only pocket change, I wasn't..." She paused. She was thinking about several days ago, when she'd brought just enough money to buy lunch with Kagami and Tsukasa. That had been the last time she'd been home.

"I will be able to provide funds as you need them," Nagato said.

"Good, good..." Spike muttered. "We'll see if there's anywhere that's open. I hope they serve breakfast... but on second thought, I'm not feeling picky right now."

They wandered the streets, not engaging in much more conversation. A few hours later there was a spectacular view of the sunrise coming up over a wide river that cut through the center of town. It was an animated effect, of course. This was one of those strange worlds that took on that appearance of being hand-drawn. Still, the sight was just as impressive and beautiful as if it had been real. For just a moment, the entire world seemed to turn crimson.

* * *

They were assembled on one of the roads leading out of Calla Bryn Stugis, a long winding path that stretched into the distance. The plains were empty for as far as anyone could see, which seemed to be several miles. A few trees were scattered around, and behind them were some wheat fields.

"They'll be coming from this direction," Joshua said. "That's what Andy said, anyway."

"Right..." Kagami said. "And the kids back in the town?"

"They've been hidden. Mikuru's back there, too." Joshua stretched his arms. He took out his sword, and swung it around a few times as a warm up. "If we don't succeed here, then the Wolves are likely to just get angry, and it's safe to say they'll take it out on everyone they can find in there."

"And if we don't succeed here, it'll mean we're dead," Kagami said softly.

"Hey, but that's not going to happen, now is it?" Rei activated her beam katana. The blade glowed a light blue, shooting out from the metal handle almost an entire meter. "We'll take care of them."

"Right..." Surprisingly, Kagami found she wasn't as scared as she should have been. It actually felt like maybe she'd be able to do this. She checked both the guns, each loaded with six shots. All of which would need to make their mark. Potentially, a single well-aimed gunshot could knock off those radar dishes and completely incapacitate an enemy. In those terms, it didn't sound so hard.

Rei started to say something, but Joshua put up a hand. "Quiet, you hear that?"

There were hoofbeats in the distance. It was a low rumble, not like the horses back in town, pulling carts at a slow pace, but of many horses all charging at a full gallop.

"How many are there supposed to be?" Kagami said. Now they were coming into view, just a vague gray mass in the distance.

"Nobody's ever counted, as far as I've heard," Joshua said. "Shouldn't be too many. Are you going to take cover anywhere?"

Kagami glanced around. She did have a few options. There were trenches alongside the road, there were a few small trees... no, those wouldn't work. Or she could just count on Rei and Joshua to do a really good job and she'd just pick off whatever got through them. Yeah, right. She chose the trench on her left, getting into a position to aim. She set down the bag on the ground, open with all the remaining ammo in easy reach.

They were close enough now to distinguish all the identical gray horses and emerald cloaks of the riders.

"Aim for the tops of the cloaks," Joshua said. He stood almost completely still, different from his usual laid-back demeanor. Rei seemed suddenly more serious as well. These people... You could never guess what they were really capable of, could you?

She heard the sound of Rei's beam katana activating, and checked her guns again. They were loaded, as she already knew they would be, but she had to see all twelve of those rounds to be sure. Even so, her mind was surprisingly clear. The next sound she heard was metal striking metal, and a body hitting the packed dirt of the path. Then things seemed to slow down.

It was one of the Wolves - Joshua had knocked it down, and now he and Rei were fighting the next ones as they came. They kept on knocking them down off the horses, the two of them against countless enemies. It was like watching a video game in person. They seemed to be moving down the road, not staying in that one position. It seemed like some of them were just trying to break through while the others took care of the unexpected resistance.

If you had asked Kagami what her exact emotions were when she raised the gun - whether it was fear, confidence, anger, pure adrenaline - she wouldn't have been able to tell you. The shots rang out, one after another, six in all. Four of the green-cloaked enemies fell. Was it more than she'd expected? Maybe. She hadn't been sure what to expect, it just happened.

Rei had her blade locked with one of the Wolves now. Its face was masked, and showed a permanent scowl. Both weapons were pure light, and sparks were flying out where they met. Kagami took the gun in her right hand, her less dominant side, and had to aim it more carefully towards the top of his hood. As the cloth was torn off, she could see the tiny radar dish fall to the ground and get trampled. The figure dropped as if dead.

"Nice one," Rei said, but didn't stop even for a moment, taking down another one as soon as the first had fallen.

The flow of time was odd. Joshua was moving in slow motion at the same time as he moved faster than any regular person could possibly manage. She tore her eyes away to focus on the others, but there was some kind of odd ringing in her ears...

Joshua turned towards it, seemed to say something, maybe "Watch out!" or something along those lines.

Kagami rolled to the side just moments before the gold blur could have hit her, and it buried itself somewhere in the ground behind her. Her heart was pounding. And her weapons were empty. She looked around frantically for her bag, it had been right there, what had happened to it?

"How many of you are there? Seriously!" Rei's voice just had mild annoyance in it. She didn't even sound short of breath. Good, it wasn't too serious up there.

Moving as quickly and silently as possible, Kagami grabbed one of the black boxes of ammunition in her bag, fumbling around and nearly spilling all the rounds in the grass. She shoved them into the cylinders awkwardly, and as she did so heard another high-pitched ringing... Not another one...

It was cut off - literally. Joshua swung his sword and caught the small metallic object in midflight.

"You okay there? Come on, we could use a little support - " Out of the corner of her vision, Kagami saw him leap high into the air for a downward strike into one of the masked heads. It smashed it directly down the middle.

She was ready. They'd been pushed several meters down the path, but still nothing had broken through into the town. If even one of the Wolves made it past, what would happen? Could the townspeople even fight one of these things? Sure, Kagami could, Hiiragi Kagami, future law student from Tokyo, Japan, but she had some sort of unnatural affinity for gunfighting that she was seriously starting to wonder about.

Firing with both guns simultaneously now, she unloaded twelve shots and saw several green cloaks fall forward as the bullets struck them directly on the top of the head.

A light blue blur of Rei's sword flashed a few more times, and then it got unnaturally quiet.

It couldn't have taken more than five minutes, even though it felt like so long. All that preparation, all the anxiety of the past few days, and it all came down to five minutes. Kagami noticed she'd been holding her breath, and the sound of herself exhaling seemed loud in the silence.

A weak plume of smoke was rising a few meters away, from that thing that had been thrown at her earlier. She stood up slowly, stepped over the edge of the ditch to see what it was.

Rei called after her. "Hey, Kagami, you're okay, right? You were great, are you sure you've never used guns before?" Kagami ignored her.

She reached down for the object, pulling her fingers away at first, expecting heat. Surprisingly, it was cooled off fairly quickly. It wasn't metal either. It felt soft and rubbery, and it gave a little when her fingers closed around it. She turned it over and found an inscription.

"Huh? This is..." She stared at it. "It's some kind of joke, isn't it?"

"What is?" Rei said, coming over to see. Joshua stayed behind, counting the bodies.

"Sixty-one. Seemed like a lot more," he said.

"This... It's not for real. It's gotta be some kind of joke," Kagami repeated. She did give a nervous laugh, from the absurdity of it all.

On the strange, golden object, this label was stamped:

"SNEETCH"

HARRY POTTER MODEL

Serial # 465-11-AA HPJKR

CAUTION

EXPLOSIVE

* * *

"I don't think this thing was meant to hold four people - " Kyon tried to say.

"Of course not," Kamina said. He was in the center, gripping the controls with a fierce expression on his face. All around them, screens were displaying the street around them. "Lagann is a basic gunmen, single pilot. But you don't have any of your own, so what am I supposed to do?"

"I hate to admit this to myself, but our lives are in your hands right now," Dante said. "So please, don't screw this up by being your usual self. Is that too much to ask?"

"Not at all."

The dark purple mechs were advancing on them. Their weapons looked like regular machine guns like a person would wield, but many times the size. Who were they attacking? They looked like huge suits of armor, and something in the details around what was supposed to be the face came across as threatening. There were two of them, and they had their weapons raised.

"W-what do we do?" Tsukasa said. She was pressing herself up against the wall of the cockpit, making herself as small as possible. It was best not to be in Kamina's way while he was trying to operate it. "Are we going to - "

"Don't make them mad if there's a way to avoid it," Kyon insisted. "What kind of weapons do we have?"

Kamina's answer was simple, and his grin widened a little as he said one single word: "Drills."

"That's it...?"

_They say that a drill is like an _ideal_ for a guy..._

The view in front of them now showed both of the enemy units directly in front of them, aiming their guns but remaining still. Tsukasa hadn't even noticed when they'd approached. But now they weren't even moving. It went on for a few minutes.

"What the hell are they waiting for..." Kamina muttered.

"Good, at least you're not attacking them straight out," Kyon said. He shifted a little, trying to find comfortable room in the cramped space. "What are they doing, though?"

A voice spoke out loud, with an echolike quality that you heard on a megaphone or something. "Unidentified Knightmare frame. Please identify your name and affiliation."

"What does he mean by 'nightmare?'" Tsukasa said quietly.

Kamina used one of the controls to speak out loud. "We don't know what the hell you're talking about! Get out of our way!" He turned back to speak to the others. "Once I see an opening, we're going for it, full speed."

"What?" Dante said. "You're outnumbered here. And frankly, I don't trust you in a fight where you're outnumbered. You're not the kind who can handle it."

"There's a thing we used to say back in my world. 'Kick reason to the curb and go beyond the impossible.'" Kamina surveyed the space in front of them calmly. "Ready or not, here we come."

The Lagann dashed into action - not gliding around like the others, it actually ran around using its legs. That made the ride extremely rough. Tsukasa braced herself against the sides, even though they were getting tossed around like clothes in a washing machine.

"Oh - sorry!" she said, as she was thrown aside into Kyon.

"Are we sure - this is actually - a better idea - than just getting out - on foot?" he said.

"It's the best I could do with short notice. Hang on." Kamina seemed relatively comfortable, sitting in the pilot's chair. It was becoming brutally obvious that it was designed for only one person.

Gunfire had started again. Closer than before, because it was obviously coming from those two they had left behind, and it was directed towards them. It was hard to tell if the increased jittering was from the movement of the robot or if they were getting hit.

"We're gonna need to pick up the pace..." Kamina said. The view on the screen in front of him was showing an intersection, and against Dante's attempts at protest he accelerated around the corner, behind a large white building.

"There's more up ahead," Dante observed. His voice was expressionless. He'd given up.

Sure enough, there was a formation of those purple mechs up ahead. They saw the bright red machine with its huge sunglasses and toothy grin - how could you miss it? - and quickly barricaded the road. The other two would catch up from behind in a matter of seconds, and they'd be cornered. Tsukasa didn't think of all this, though, because her attention was drawn to the bodies lying in the street.

"Th-they..." she tried to get it out. "They were... shooting innocent people here? Why would they..."

"Must be what all those numbers were about..." Kyon said. His eyes were fixed on them as well. "What did you say they were? Mostly for today, but some were for the next day. Any for two days from now?"

Tsukasa didn't want to remember that there had been a fairly wide range of numbers. Yes, most of them were today. She'd seen some as high as seven, but only on one or two occasions. Mostly they cut it off... It would be in two days, yes. They were exterminating them...

Kamina's arms were trembling as he gripped the controls. "Those bastards..."

"You're not going to do something crazy, are you?" Dante said.

Another voice, sounding like it was coming out of a megaphone. "Open your communication channels! Are you Japanese?" There were about seven of those machine guns all directed at them.

"I don't like the way he said that," Kyon said. "Shit, what are we supposed to - "

The Gurren lurched to the side, and a flash of silver appeared in front. It all happened too fast to distinguish one blurred shape from another - the high-pitched whirr of the drill, like a bigger version of what the dentist would use, and the bright orange explosions as Kamina targeted and destroyed each of the mechs faster than they could react.

The cockpit jittered as if something was hitting them - had they been shot at? Either way, they hadn't sustained heavy damage... Tsukasa readjusted herself against the wall. Once again, this was more than she could handle.

Smoking rubble was all that was left in the street, along with the bodies of the people who had been killed. Kamina surveyed it all, still enraged. "Anyone else want to come after us? I can take you on!"

Dante could only manage one word. "Shit..."

"Just..." Kyon held up a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. "Just get us out of here. Now."

Kamina swung the Gurren around, checking all directions, and headed further down the street. The shaking was almost getting tolerable now. Tsukasa was more worried about running into more enemies. Bigger ones. She knew a little bit from what Konata used to talk about with her shows, and there were always bigger robots out there.

At one point they saw three or four of those identical purple ones cross the street in front of them, but they slid past without taking notice of them.

More scattered piles of dead bodies.

"What the hell are we doing in the middle of this..." Kyon said. "It's just insane, why didn't we get out sooner?"

"Damn it, which way is out?" Kamina said. "This city's so confusing!"

"That's the one! Stay where you are!" The voice came from behind, and they didn't even need to look to know it was another of the enemies. Whatever their allegiance was, whether this was the Japanese military from this world, or the Brittanians, didn't matter.

Kamina set them off running again. He made sharp turns at random, zigzagging through the metropolis trying to get out.

"Why don't you just go straight? We could be going in circles! I can't even keep track!" Kyon said.

"No, if they were able to predict where we were going like that, we'd just get cornered..." Dante said. "At least, I think that's what your logic is."

Kyon suddenly yelled out. "Stop! Goddamnit, slow down, at least! I thought I saw..."

Everything was such a blur, Tsukasa wondered what he possibly could have seen. Kamina made an abrupt stop and whirled them around in a sharp one-eighty that threw them to the right side of the cockpit.

"Who is it? Their leader?" Kamina said, pivoting the Gurren frantically trying to get it in view.

"No. Thank God, no. It's..." Kyon was looking around for whatever he'd just seen.

Dante noticed it first. "Holy shit, it's the door. It's just _sitting_ there."

It was on the sidewalk in front of a building. The store behind it had been riddled with massive bullet holes, the front windows shattered. It was made out of the same dark wood as the others, looking out of place in the sleek futuristic aesthetic of the Tokyo settlement.

The only problem seemed to be actually getting through. As uncomfortable as it was, getting out of the Gurren seemed like a bad idea. And those guys were bound to catch up any minute now...

"How do we get out of this? It won't fit through the door..." Tsukasa said. It looked so small in front of them, several meters below their current eye level.

"Well, I think your tactic from last time worked pretty well. Once we hit the ground, you make a run for it as fast as you can," Kamina said. "Got it?"

"Hit the ground? Why did you put it like - " Kyon's suspicions were confirmed as Kamina placed his hand on the wall of the cockpit in front of him and the entire thing vanished in a flash of light. They plummeted the rest of the way to the ground.

It all happened so fast it was hard to tell what was going on - apparently, the enemy forces had arrived just in time to see their target vanish and its four passengers fall to the ground. Tsukasa wondered if her legs were broken, but they could still move. A little. She heard someone's voice, she thought it was Dante but couldn't be sure - "Get up! Move!" and someone pulled her from behind. A few long seconds later, the city disappeared and she was aware of an earthy smell and thick plant life.

* * *

Kagami was exhausted as they arrived back in the village. Already the events of the day seemed like they couldn't have happened. They were even less real than Silent Hill had been. And the Harry Potter reference? No. Just no. Where had that even come from?

"Mikuru stayed at the inn, I think a lot of families were taking shelter there. We should start out there," Joshua said.

"Fine. We'll get Mikuru, maybe have some lunch, then I want to get out of here. I'm done with this," Kagami said.

Rei smiled. "You were done with this from the beginning, weren't you? Lighten up. You did a good job out there. And you've still got some ammo left?"

"Yeah. Plenty."

"Good."

"I'm never doing that again... It's not even legal to own a gun in Japan. There's no way I should be able to..." Her voice trailed off. "Nevermind."

The village looked empty, totally quiet, as the plan had been. If the Wolves had been able to make it this far, they might not have found anyone... Kagami knew how much bullshit that idea was, though. Those things hadn't been human, they were going to stop at nothing at their goal. Take one child from each pair of twins, of which there were plenty in the Calla... And what did they plan to do once they had taken them away? It didn't matter, really. The idea just made her sick. Sure, maybe she was feeling a little proud she'd been able to help stop them...

"Kagami...?" The voice coming from behind was feeble, but still audible in the stillness. "All of you... You're okay..."

Mikuru ran towards them at full speed, tears in her eyes. For some reason Kagami couldn't help but fear the worst when she saw them.

"Mikuru... What happened to the others? Is everyone okay? What happened?"

"Nothing, nothing happened... I saw you come back and I knew it must be okay, you really got rid of those things... I'm so glad you didn't get..."

"Those guys were pushovers. We had nothing to worry about," Rei said.

Really, all this place had needed were some people to come in and defend them. That wasn't available everywhere, especially an isolated place like this. They had needed someone to come in from outside and help them, otherwise the Wolves would have...

"Kagami? Are you okay?" Mikuru said.

"Oh, man. You should've seen her out there. Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Rei said.

"I don't know. Let's just get out of here, alright? We're done. We need to get moving," Kagami insisted.

"Someone's in a hurry. Don't you at least want to stop and have some lunch before we hit the road again?" Joshua said. "You've gotta love the feeling you get after finishing a job. You just want to kick back for a bit, take it easy. I'm sure we'll have another chance for some action before long. I'd put my money on that."

"We should go back to the inn..." Mikuru said. She turned her head for a moment, looking back in the direction she'd come from. "They weren't sure if it was over yet... It was so quick..."

Kagami disagreed, it had felt like she'd been out there for hours. And this whole quest thing Konata had sent them on seemed to have stretched out for years. Regular everyday life was beginning to seem like the fantasy world.

"Sure. We'll clear everything up, but then we really need to concentrate on getting out of this universe," Kagami said. "I'm just getting... tired. I don't know what I want right now."

They followed Mikuru back through the empty storefronts, the town meeting hall, all the way to the edge of town where Traveler's Rest stood waiting. But in front of it, standing there as real as anything else, was a solid wood door. It seemed to stare back at them passively, challenging them to approach it. And of course, Kagami did.

"That wasn't there before," Mikuru said. "When I left, there wasn't anything there."

"There is now," Kagami said. She held the doorknob, taking a final deep breath. "And it's about time. I may regret this later, but - "

She opened it, stepping through. She heard Joshua yell at her, telling her to wait, but she acted as if she hadn't heard. It seemed like the door could be gone as soon as it had appeared, and she wasn't going to pass it by. This time she kept her eyes open as she went into the blackness, welcoming whatever it had to offer. And she saw it change. Her hair, hanging down over one shoulder, changed from hundreds of individual strands of dark brown into a single, spiky lavender shape like a character from one of Konata's manga.


	36. Fait Accompli

The girl with the pink hair and glasses was the first one she saw. She was hard to miss, really. Definitely one of the people from the list Eclipse had sent out. She was walking alongside someone else, another girl in a high school uniform and brown cardigan. The other two - how could you miss them? Spike Spiegel, with the afro and navy blue suit. Alucard, the tall pale one dressed all in red. Those three together probably meant that the other girl in the uniform was somebody important, and even Eclipse hadn't heard of her.

"Shana? What's going on?" Yuji had noticed that she was watching them.

"Those four..." Shana said, not moving her eyes off them. "They ended up here?"

"Huh?" Yuji followed her gaze, and saw who she was looking at. "Are they Crimson Denizens?"

"Something else... They might be worse." She considered how much she was allowed to say, since Eclipse usually forbade giving out any kind of information to outsiders. Weighing that against the fact that she'd be turning in three (four?) wanted individuals... She shook her head. "I can't tell you very much. It's something I've been doing on the side. But letting them go would be bad, for this world... and the others." The last part she added in a very soft voice, and immediately wondered if she should have left it out entirely.

"What are you talking about?"

"Yuji... You just stay back. I need to take care of this on my own."

Shana had accepted Eclipse's invitation some time ago. They'd seen her as a valuable ally, someone who already possessed superior fighting abilities and a will to use them. It was part of being a Flame Haze. Her fighting skills were already beyond that of a regular human, but the idea of going to other worlds, protecting the people who lived there, had its attractions. She did have room to improve, it turned out. She wasn't quite at her full potential.

The missions in other worlds were somewhat infrequent, since Eclipse was admittedly just a side pursuit for her. But just a couple days ago, she'd gotten an alert on her Talisman - the cell phone-looking device Eclipse had given her. Pictures of twelve different people, labelled as deserters, highly dangerous, whereabouts currently unknown. At the top of the list was Izumi Konata, a girl about eighteen years old. Shana couldn't help but notice how much this girl looked like her... Minus the fact that this Konata's hair was blue. Shana's hair was black, or blazing red when she was ready for battle. Still, she couldn't help but worry that she might be mistaken for this girl.

That pink haired girl - currently with her companions ordering food from the restaurant's counter - was Takara Miyuki, if Shana was remembering it correctly.

Yuji spoke again. "Please, Shana, if this is something dangerous then I need to know - "

She put up a hand, motioning him to keep away. "Stay back from this one. It'll be over quick."

* * *

Chapter 36

Just A Twist Of Fate

* * *

Back to the world of weird hair, huge eyes, and a severe lack of a third dimension. This place looked even more cartoony than Haruhi's world had. Maybe they wouldn't stay here for long. The transition was just dizzying.

On the bright side, it was a big city. The signs in store windows were printed in Japanese. The whole area was fairly clean-looking and safe. The slight chill and grey skies suggested early morning, and the sidewalks were empty. All in all, this felt much closer to home than the Calla had been. Even the slight smell of gasoline, more noticeable due to the lack of it during the past few days, was comforting in its own way.

"Hm... It might be..." Rei's voice trailed off. She cast a quick sideways glance towards Kagami.

"Are you thinking of that too?" Joshua said. "I mean, I wouldn't jump to conclusions, but..."

"What? What's going on?" Kagami said. "Do you know where we are?"

"It looks a lot like your world did. Before the whole demon situation, at least," Joshua said. He noticed the look in her eyes as her heart leapt. "Now, don't get your hopes up. It's possible that if Konata's the one making these doorways for us, she could have gotten us where you want to be, but I've been to plenty of worlds that look close to this."

"Sure... I get it. So this is what the world I live in looks like to you people?" Kagami took a better look around. This was what Konata was used to. How did she deal with it? Anime wasn't all that terrible, but that was when it stayed on the screen where it belonged.

"This is... You live in a world like this, Kagami?" Mikuru said.

"It definitely could be Lucky Star, but..." Rei shrugged. "Actually, the more I consider it, this really _does_ look like it. You look exactly like you did when we first met, Kagami."

She was beginning to think that maybe she knew this part of Tokyo. But, to be honest, right now it would be difficult to recognize her own house... Was it possible that they were in her own world, that she might _be_ home in just a couple hours? Now she wouldn't want to believe any differently. This _was_ her home.

Across the streets, there were plenty of colorful signs, billboards, advertising all sorts of things.

"This is Akihabara, isn't it? I mean, I can tell that much..." she said slowly. "I guess there are a lot of Tokyos out there, but... it just feels like..."

"Come on. What's your address? We could start by checking out your house and seeing if it's still the Hiiragi residence," Rei suggested. "It won't hurt to look."

No, it wouldn't hurt just to check it out. As long as it did turn out to be the right world, because if by any chance it wasn't... Kagami just didn't want to consider that right now. Not when they were so close.

* * *

Tsukasa didn't notice anything at first, just that she was in a lot of pain after that fall. First those demons, then giant robots. She couldn't take much more of this. Her hand went to her pocket, searching for the COMP. Even after all that had happened... _Especially_ after all that had happened... It made her feel safe to know that it was there. Her leg hurt. But she could still move it.

"Alright. So it looks like we got out of another one," Dante said. His voice was the only sound, other than a few background noises... Wind blowing through trees, some chirping insects.

Tsukasa stared up, away from her injured leg that she was starting to think might be sprained, or fractured. They were in a forest. Kamina was standing behind her, he'd been the one who had grabbed onto her and dragged her through the door. It had been rough, but she wasn't mad as long as they were safe now. The others were standing around her, but they looked different... Why?

Because this world looked real.

Her hand shot up to the side of her head, and she took a lock of her hair and held it up where she could look at it. Brown, not purple. She smiled, momentarily forgetting everything else. It was like waking up from a terrifying, surreal dream.

"Tsukasa? Are you okay?" Kyon asked her. He looked really different, she barely recognized him.

"Yes... I think I am..."

It was pretty nice here, actually. Tall pine trees were growing all around. Very green and pleasant. There was one that had fallen; the trunk was split into a million jagged spikes where it had broken. The weather was just a little bit chilly, but still comfortable. It reminded her of early fall... Actually, when they'd been in Kyon's world, this is about what the weather had been like.

When was the last time she'd felt like this? It was so peaceful. For once, it seemed like nothing was about to happen, absolutely nothing. That wasn't a boring feeling, it was comforting. Ever since the very first quake had hit the restaurant she'd gone to with her sister and Miyuki, Tsukasa had never been able to tell what was going to happen next. Demons, giant robots... Even seeing Konata alive again had been a little scary and confusing.

"So where do you suppose we are now? Canada, maybe?" Kyon suggested.

"Heh. Looks like it," Dante said. He took a deep breath in, smelling the aroma of pine needles. "Nice to be in the real world again."

"Don't you get it?" Kamina said, pronouncing each word slowly. He seemed offended, for some reason. "_All_ of those worlds are real. And that's why I'm still pretty pissed that we weren't able to do anything for them. You didn't understand that?" He was yelling at this point, and Tsukasa cringed.

"Geez, no need to get so worked up about it... I thought we were trying to find this Haruhi girl. What happened to _that?_" Dante said.

All of them fell silent at that. Kyon opened his mouth once, like he was going to comment, but then reconsidered. Tsukasa tried to stand up, and found she could, although it was still difficult to keep her balance. It had been a nasty fall, but she wasn't angry at Kamina. He'd been the one to get them out safely in the first place, and wasn't that worth having to walk with a limp for a little bit?

"First things first. I'd rather not be stuck in the middle of the woods for too long, so shouldn't we at least try to find a way out of here?" Kyon said. "There's gotta be some kind of civilization around here."

Dante nodded, considering the prospect. "He's got a point."

There wasn't so much as a dirt path cut out through these woods, and it was quiet all over except for the distant sound of a waterfall. It woudl be neat to find out where that was. Surely they were a long way off from any major cities, but it didn't look like people had _ever_ been here in the first place.

"We'll look," Kamina agreed. "It seems normal enough for now, but when it comes to all these different universes you can never be sure."

At the very least, Tsukasa had decided, it didn't look like there would be any more robots or demons to worry about.

* * *

It had been a long time - maybe four, five years - since Konata had last seen Rurouni Kenshin. That had been one of the series that she'd watched together with her dad. It was also the basis for most of her knowledge of the Meiji era, since the slightly over-the-top fight scenes were infinitely more engaging than history class. Hey, this was the anime version, not the "historically-accurate" one, so all of what she'd seen was truth in _this_ world.

But most of what she hadn't understood in that series was Kenshin's lingering guilt. He carried so much regret from being a deadly assassin in the war, known and feared by many. He'd killed tons of people, but to look at him as he was during the events of the story, you'd never know it. He was such a carefree guy, and he only fought when he was protecting the innocent. What was so bad? What's past is past.

Four or five years ago, Konata would never have imagined she might be in a similar moral predicament someday.

Yes, part of it was that, as she realized, she had killed hundreds of people. No, there had been that fiasco in the Evangelion world, and that made it... what? Thousands of people? Those memories were hard to repress.

She remembered the guy who'd attacked her in Haruhi's world when they went to the apartment. She remembered the expressions on her friend's faces as they watched her, and when she'd told them that killing was "nothing new" to her. Sure, it was self-defense. Things could've been worse if he'd been able to kill her, then what would've happened to the others? Besides... His eyes, and those claws where his hands were supposed to be. That guy hadn't been human. But others had. She couldn't deny that. She'd been in a war... Yes, she understood exactly what it must be like for Kenshin.

They hadn't actually seen him yet. They'd passed by the Kamiya school and it had seemed totally empty. Everyone must be out to lunch or something. Besides, the real objective here was to find the way out. She couldn't control her ability, but there were only so many old animes that they could get through before they found something significant.

"I can't help but feel like everyone's staring at us. That last world was one thing, but this..." Konata glanced over at Junpei. He was right, they weren't doing such a good job of fitting in as they strolled down the street.

It was the middle of the day and the streets of this town were pretty crowded. True, it _was_ Tokyo. Minus all the tall buildings, and cars, and other modern conveniences that would have made it feel anything like Tokyo. But it was still one of the most populous cities in Japan. A hundred years in the past, T-shirts, jeans, and Junpei's baseball cap were unheard of. Of course everyone around here was dressed in traditional clothing of various dull colors.

"This is why, on a regular mission with Eclipse, we wouldn't dress this way," Jason said. "If we had time to prepare and plan ahead, we could've arranged something better."

"Who cares? Nothing we can do about it now," Konata muttered. She was staring down at the unpaved dirt road, still thinking things over in her mind and only tangentially listening to the conversation the others were having.

"I've gotta admit, it's pretty cool seeing all these different places," Junpei said, ignoring her. "Way cooler than even fighting during the Dark Hour was. Too bad things went to hell when I was supposed to join the Organization. Eclipse sounds like it would've been fun."

Sure, it had been, for a while. Konata wouldn't deny that. But she didn't bother to say anything for now.

"Konata, you mentioned this was an anime you were familiar with, correct? I'd like to hear more about it," Koizumi said. "Maybe we'll be able to figure out what to do next, like we did in that last world."

"Shouldn't we just try to get out? We haven't seen Haruhi anywhere. We need to pick up the pace," Konata said.

"True..."

Jason seemed to be considering something, and then he spoke. "Didn't the last door appear about the time you gave the book to Edward and Alphonse?" he asked. "I've been thinking about that, actually. There's no way to tell if it was exactly the same time... But maybe that caused it. You had to accomplish something before you would create the way out."

"Sure. I wanted to make sure I got that to them, since they needed it... But I don't see anything needing to be done here. I just want to find Haruhi and go home... I thought that's what I wanted the last time, though," Konata said.

Junpei stared at her. "You're sure there's nothing - "

She stopped moving. "I'm done with all of this. Finding Haruhi is the last thing I have to do, and nothing else matters." She hesitated. "Then... Then we're all going back home."

* * *

Shortly after Miyuki stepped out of the restaurant with the others, everything stopped.

People were frozen in their tracks wherever they had been standing. The color had gone out of them, and they were all gray. But everything else - the sky, the buildings, the street - had taken on a deep red hue, a drastic change from the bright sunny day they'd been enjoying. Before now, it had seemed like this world was normal, but now something was obviously happening again.

"Is this... closed space? It looks different..." she said. The feeling of dread was similar... Perhaps even greater. Red was such an unnerving color.

"Current method of data manipulation unknown," Nagato said. A normal person probably would have phrased that as "I don't know."

Someone gave a short gasp behind them, but composed herself as she began speaking. "So you're not affected by the Seal... Very well then." It was a girl's voice. The calm, even tone somehow didn't conceal the anger.

Miyuki turned around, surprised. The one who had spoken looked an awful lot like Konata-san... Except that in these worlds, Konata's hair would have been blue, so it couldn't be her. This girl had striking orange hair that looked like it was glowing. Her long black coat also looked like the one Konata had been wearing a few days ago, but she was wearing it over a military-green school uniform that Miyuki didn't recognize.

Most importantly, she held up a sword... Specifically, a katana, Miyuki noticed on closer observation. One that was very long and looked sharp. She pointed it at the four of them. It hung in the air perfectly still. Her hand didn't tremble in the slightest.

"I know exactly who you are and what you're doing here. Don't think I'll let my own world go down so easily."

"Hm? Your own world..." Spike thought for a moment. "Are you with - "

"Eclipse? Yes."

"Good, good. Would you mind giving us some help? We're kinda stuck here - "

She directed the sword's point his way, and her eyes narrowed. They were the same shade of orange that her hair was, and it didn't seem like that was a natural color even in this world. "I don't think so. It's ending right here."

"I believe you may have us confused for someone else," Alucard said calmly, not making any movements. "And if you expect to take us on alone, I would suggest you reconsider."

Miyuki stepped back, behind Spike and Alucard. Her hand went to her pocket again, feeling the card inside. There was no sound, no movement. Alucard drew one of his large pistols from his coat and pointed it towards the orange-haired girl.

He seemed to be grinning slightly. "Then shall we begin?"

* * *

Sure enough...

"That's..." Kagami checked the licence plate number one more time, just to be sure. "That's my Dad's car..."

And the house it was parked in front of was very familiar. Maybe Kagami was just so adapted to anime now that she recognized her house and her neighborhood even when it looked like this. It helped that all the colors stayed the same as far as scenery was concerned.

If she and Tsukasa had purple hair, then what would her mom and dad look like? And Inori, and Matsuri? It wasn't the first time she'd considered this. As they'd gotten closer to Washinomiya the thoughts had started running through her mind incessantly. She was almost afraid to go in.

It was probably about noon by now. They'd started seeing more people as the day began. At one point Kagami had seen a group of girls in the blue Ryoo sailor uniforms heading off to school. She had almost been expecting to run into someone she knew. Yutaka, maybe. Or maybe even Misao. Everyone seemed surprisingly calm, like they didn't remember anything about the demon attacks less than a week ago. But the city showed no signs of damage, since Konata had cleared all that away. Maybe she'd erased everyone's memories at the same time.

"This is it, right?" Rei said, looking at the regular-sized suburban home. "Your house."

Kagami nodded, but didn't move otherwise. She felt frozen to the spot. This couldn't just be a dream, right? It was too good to be true. And at the same time, so terrifying to come home and find it like this.

"Hm. Looks like we got lucky, then. Do you think any of the others made it?" Joshua said. "Konata _did_ want all of you to end up here eventually..." He shrugged.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, then," Rei said. She suddenly lunged towards Kagami and gave her a hug. "It's been really fun, but I guess you don't want to go through any more of it, huh?"

"Y-yeah..." Kagami said. She hesitantly put her arms up around Rei's shoulders, making a very subtle pushing motion trying to break away, but to no avail.

Rei finally pulled away. "Right when it was getting good, too... I mean what I said earlier. You really could've done well in Eclipse. Too bad we're not a part of it anymore, huh?"

"Sure. Thanks, but no thanks..." Kagami smiled nervously. Eclipse simply had no appeal to her, not in the slightest.

Mikuru looked back and forth at each of them. "We still need to keep going?" she asked.

"I'm beginning to wonder about what Konata was trying to accomplish, but she _did_ say she wanted Kagami and the others to get home," Joshua said. "So here we are. Which almost makes me wonder if we'll actually run into Haruhi at some point soon."

"And I need to be there... In case you find her," Mikuru said. She was staring nervously at her feet. It was obvious she would have rather gone to her own home and forgotten this had ever happened. It was pitiful, really.

"Don't worry about it," Kagami said. "Maybe Konata's finally gotten control of what she's doing. It might not take much longer."

"Speaking of which, why don't we get going right away?" Rei suggested. "We don't need to keep you any longer, I guess."

"It's fine... Really," Kagami replied. "So I guess this is the end of the road. For me, anyway."

She watched them as they turned and walked away. Mikuru was a little hesitant. She'd probably rather just strand herself here than go on into whatever. They'd just keep going on, finding yet another doorway out of here that would lead them to wherever they were supposed to go... hopefully. Now that she realized that was all done, it felt great, and Kagami really did want Mikuru and the others to get back home so they could have the same peaceful feeling.

But turning back to her house... This whole anime thing, purple hair and all, was simply an aesthetic change. Sure, it had been nice having the world look as it was supposed to in the Calla, but she'd take her old normal lifestyle over the confusing jumble of post-apocalyptic America and misplaced pop culture references any day. In time, all of this would fade into the monotony of the daily routine, and she could try to forget anything had ever happened.

She walked up to the door. No need to knock, she lived here, didn't she? It was all the same as she remembered. Close enough, at least. She opened it, hesitating just a bit.

Konata had wanted her to explain what had happened if she got home before the others. Where to even_ start..._

Here was the front hallway, with the phone by the side wall. Across from that was the living room, the low table was the same one as always where she and Tsukasa used to do homework assignments together. It was quiet. She wondered if Tsukasa had gotten back... Or Miyuki. Or even if Konata had passed through, though if she had she'd probably keep moving and not stay for too long.

"H-hello? I'm back..." she said. It sounded odd, but what else was there to say right now?

She almost stopped dead when she heard her mother's voice replying from somewhere else - the family room, maybe the kitchen. "Kagami? Is that you? You're back from school early."


	37. Don't Ask Me Why

"Back... from school?" Kagami repeated. She shook her head. "No... I've been gone for days, I... Don't you remember what happened?"

Her mother stared at her. Her hair was dark purple, _almost_ a realistic shade of black but not quite. "You left for school just this morning with Tsukasa. And what happened to your uniform?"

Kagami shook her head. "No, that's not possible... What about Konata? What happened to her?"

"I haven't seen her in a few days, not since you invited her over last time. Are you feeling okay? Do I need to call a doctor?"

A year ago, Kagami and Tsukasa had come home with the news. There had been that assembly, where the principal had given a schoolwide announcement about Konata... What had happened to her the night before, offering some brief, generic sentiments, along with a more urgent statement asking all the students to be more careful and to avoid walking alone. They'd come home in shock and told everyone... Their mother had been panic stricken to hear the news, and to know that there was (supposedly) a murderer still out there. Now it was like that had never happened.

Had Konata done this? What had happened, had everything been sent backwards in time when they left?

Kagami's head was swimming. She tried to think of a way out. "Umm... Yeah, I think you're right. I just need to rest a while, I think I'll go to bed for a bit..."

"Alright, then... Just call if you need anything..."

She started heading back out. She looked towards the front door, wondering if she should just leave now and go find the others. Or maybe just head to her room and see if everything was still the same. There would have to be some clues in there, something had definitely changed but it was possible this was still the right universe... wasn't there?

She was in the hallway when she heard it. "Hey, we're home! Konata and Miyuki came over too!"

Kagami's head shot up. Tsukasa? No, it wasn't really... Suddenly she was feeling very scared. She had to get out of here. This wasn't where she was supposed to be at all.

She quickly hurried into the room, even knowing that it was a dead end. It wasn't like she could just go downstairs anyway. But now it was obvious - things were wrong here. The furniture wasn't set up the right way. Her bed wasn't in the same place, it was up against the other wall. And her desk had always been by the window, it was on the adjacent wall. Her bookcase... No, most of these weren't even books she had heard of. This was all wrong, she had to get out -

"Do you guys want any snacks? We should get started on that homework right away." Tsukasa's voice was coming closer. "Sorry, my room's a bit of a mess right now, but we can just use - "

They stopped when they came in and saw her, with her back turned as she looked at the unfamiliar photographs on the bulletin board. All four of them stopped in their tracks. Because Kagami was there too.

"Huh? What..." Miyuki started to say, looking back and forth between both of them.

The Kagami wearing the blue uniform dropped to the ground in a dead faint. The other Kagami, recently graduated from Ryoo and dressed in handmade clothing from Calla Bryn Sturgis, felt like she could have done the same.

* * *

Chapter 37

Take Your Chances

* * *

This was a different part of the forest... right? Tsukasa had lost track of everything. Not just where they were, but how long they'd been out here too. All the trees were huge evergreens, and after so long they all just looked the same. It was hard to pick out landmarks. There had been the waterfall, which they had passed a long time ago. The tree over there that was split partway up the trunk... had they seen that before? She was worried they had.

Kyon finally said what she'd been thinking out loud. "We've been going in circles, haven't we?"

"That might be the case," Kamina said.

"Would it kill you to go in a straight line? We keep making these turns, I'm almost sure this is the place where we started out - "

"Can we just stop for a while?" Tsukasa said. Her legs were tired of carrying her around, especially the one that was still sore from being dropped out of Kamina's mecha. She didn't wait for an answer to her question, she just sat down on the ground.

She took another look around. Nothing new caught her attention. This place stretched on forever. Maybe this entire world was just one huge evergreen forest. There were no towns, and no people. There weren't any trails, but there was nowhere for them to lead. They might as well just stay here.

It would be getting dark before long. Tsukasa thought it would, at least.

"How long do you think it's been? Three hours, maybe?" Kyon said.

"What a change of pace," Dante said. "We go through two worlds where things are trying to kill us, and now we end up here, where there's literally nothing. What do you think of that? I'm sure you're just ecstatic, aren't you?"

Well... yes. Tsukasa was finding that she did like this world, even if she was tired and it was getting so chilly. She'd been tired in the last two worlds, but then she'd had something to run from.

And that's when she noticed the branches shaking. She thought it was the wind blowing through the needles, waving them up and down, but it wasn't like that. It was like... No. She buried her head into her knees and curled up.

Dante looked up, trying to see what it was. "Shit, that sounds big."

The sound of trees creaking as they were pushed over, or the sounds of them splintering as something tore through them, were enough to make Tsukasa start digging in her pockets for the COMP. Dante was right, it did sound big. Once she had it in her hands, she opened the old battered cover to start it up.

The familiar red and black geometric patterns ran across the screen as the Demon Summoning Program booted up. Tsukasa had almost stopped breathing.

"Where's it coming from?" Kamina said. He whirled around, expecting to see something.

Within seconds he got what he was looking for. It was a bear - a very, very huge brown bear. It looked angry. It also appeared to be several stories tall. At least as tall as most of the trees in these woods. It gave a strangled roar that didn't sound like any normal animal Tsukasa had ever heard.

Kyon tried to get out of the way. "Shit, it's coming right at - "

There was a dark blue blur that wrapped itself around in knots in the air, making twisted patterns around the monster's head. If it paused for a split second you would have enough time to recognize the serpentine form of a Chinese dragon. The bear swiped at it, but its claws were too clumsy.

Tsukasa held the COMP in front of her, watching Seiryu distract the thing that had attacked them.

"Good work, but we need to get the hell away from that thing!" Dante said. He pulled her to the side, and she fumbled to avoid dropping the COMP as she began to run behind him.

The forest floor was covered in a tangle of branches and exposed roots coming up from the ground. It was futile trying to watch where her feet went at the same time she checked if her demon she'd summoned was winning. They came to a stop under a short cliff, where Kyon was already trying to catch his breath.

"Tsukasa, do you have any others you could summon? I can't get the Gurren out if it comes after us!" Kamina said.

There was another rumbling sound from behind them, a roar that turned into an almost humanlike scream. Tsukasa flinched, and checked the COMP again for her list of demons. These were all so small, she just felt they wouldn't be any good... As long as she had Seiryu and he could fly, that would be good enough, she hoped - but didn't really believe.

"You're sure you can't get it out? The Gurren would be fine. Just don't pack the rest of us into it this time," Kyon said.

There was a crackle of electricity - that had to be Seiryu, a bear wouldn't... no. Tsukasa dared to look behind her, to see the blue shape in the air firing bolts of electricity that barely seemed to bother the massive creature.

"What do we do next?" she said.

Dante had stepped out of the side of their cover to get a better look. He examined it top to bottom, following it as it moved. "It seems like it's alive... What _is_ that?"

"It's a bear. They have those in your world, don't they?" Kamina said.

A tree fell towards them as the bear stumbled backwards into it, making another swipe towards the dragon. It moved quickly for something of its size.

"Look at the top of its head," Dante said. "Doesn't look very natural to me."

Tsukasa looked closer - something was up by its head, sitting on top of its head, actually. It glinted silver where the sunlight hit it. Once you really looked at it, it looked like it was made out of some kind of metal.

"I don't think it's a real bear. There's something wrong about it," Dante continued. "That silver part might be where it's weak."

"You're right..." Tsukasa muttered. How did she give orders, again?

Kamina's voice behind them, sounding much louder than usual. "Stand back, everyone, I'm going in!" She glanced behind her and saw why his volume seemed so much higher - he'd managed to summon the Gurren while the bear was distracted. Kamina started charging towards the bear, even though the Gurren only came up to its legs.

"You don't suppose he'll kill himself going out there, do you?" Kyon said.

Dante shrugged. "He might."

A drill burst out from the Gurren's right arm, and expanded several times its original size in the blink of an eye. As it pierced the matted brown fur on the bear's thigh, a spray of blood came out and the creature momentarily forgot about the dragon flying around above its head and focused on the relatively tiny red figure attacking its legs.

"I'd go in there, but it looks like they've got it covered," Dante said.

Kamina dodged a huge paw that came rushing down at the ground towards him and followed up with another rush forward with his drill. The bear's head whipped around trying to see where he went, and it was at just the perfect angle to see -

"That thing's a radar dish," Kyon said. "Why would it have a _radar dish_ on its head?"

"If there's anything I've learned from this little adventure, it's been that alternate universes do _not_ make sense," Dante said. "But yeah, that's a radar dish, alright. Which means..."

"What?"

"I don't know. I was trying to think of something."

"Is it getting signals from something? That's typically what a radar dish does."

"But what kind of signals does a _bear_ need to get?"

There was a flash of light and another roar of pain from the bear - followed by a crash. Tsukasa tore her attention away from Kyon and Dante to see what had happened. A huge brown mass was on the ground, looking like a huge hill that had suddenly appeared there.

"It's dead?" Tsukasa said after a moment.

Kamina returned to the group, and dismounted the Gurren. Tsukasa noticed Seiryu now hovering still in the air, and returned him to the COMP. She turned it off and let out a breath of relief. Pretty soon her heart rate might return to normal.

"Well, it could've been worse. It could've been a camel cricket," Kyon said.

The huge black eyes were still open, and the fanged mouth was open in a snarl. A few sparks shot out from the radar dish on its head that had been fried. All around that was what looked like some kind of white mold growing out of its skull.

"Think that was the only one?" Dante said.

"Somehow I'm worried that it wasn't," Kyon said. "Let's focus on finding the way out of here next."

Kamina approached the huge mass, walking around it to get a better look. "Seems like it was a robot, but it was bleeding... Maybe it was alive, too. Who knows?" He walked over towards one of the rear legs, looking for something. "I thought I saw, when I was fighting it... Here it is!"

Tsukasa hesitantly stepped forward to see the metal plate with its letters stamped into it. Just a square plate set into its flesh.

NORTH CENTRAL POSITRONICS, LTD.  
Granite City  
Northeast Corridor

Design 4 GUARDIAN  
Serial # AA 24123 CX 755431297 L 14  
Type/Species BEAR  
SHARDIK

**NR**SUBNUCLEAR CELLS MUST NOT  
BE REPLACED**NR**

"What the...?" Kyon said, reading it a second time, attempting to make sense of it.

"Let's not worry about it. The thing's dead. Besides, the door's over there." They all turned around to see Dante pointing towards it, a wooden door standing up over the cover of dead leaves and pine needles on the forest floor.

* * *

Something had happened.

Haruhi had been waiting here, surrounded by that perfectly still red sea of flowers around the tower. She'd begun to wonder if that was a natural occurrence. Nothing seemed supernatural about them, and they were so beautiful, but did this ever happen in the normal world? She hoped it didn't. It was another thing she loved about this place.

Something huge had fallen, big enough to shake the foundations of the Tower.

It was like someone had set a charge in the side of the tower and detonated it. Like a huge chunk of the foundation had just been blown up. It hadn't really, the entire structure was still here. But in the metaphysical sense, the Tower had been damaged. Not enough to make the tower fall, but if there was another one...

Flagg had told her to keep the tower standing. Her powers were supposed to make her able to do that, just by staying here and watching over it. Why had this happened? And how? Nobody had gotten inside.

"Flagg... What's going on?" she said. She spoke out loud, which she did every once in a while to lessen the silence. He wasn't here, and he gave her no reply.

She sighed, and paced around. It was strange; nothing happened here, but it wasn't boring. She'd much rather wait for Flagg to come here than go look for him. It wasn't like she had a choice anyway. And it was completely necessary that she stayed in the Tower, especially when it was in danger.

That's what he was doing, wasn't it? Flagg was out there trying to secure whatever was going on. It's just that something had slipped past and damaged it anyway.

Haruhi went to look out a different window, but the view was the same. Nothing but roses, as far as she could see. They must have gone on for miles. Maybe this whole universe.

* * *

"I... think I need to lie down..." Kagami said. She stumbled over to the bed and collapsed there. She didn't want to look at the others. She didn't want to look at anything, it was all wrong and she was _stuck_ with it. There was no way out. She stared up blankly at the ceiling.

Everyone was too shocked to say anything for a while. This other Konata tried to help the blue-uniformed Kagami wake up, and she eventually opened her eyes slowly. When she saw herself again, standing across the hall, she backed away quickly, not taking her eyes off the double. She said nothing, just stared at her in confusion.

"No, you're not Kagami," Tsukasa said finally. "There's no way you could be."

Kagami searched for the right words to say, and turned her head slightly to look at her. This was some other universe, a lot like her own, but definitely not the same. "N-no, I guess I'm... I am Kagami, but... Listen, can you just forget this ever happened? This isn't..." She let out a sigh. "I don't know what's going on any more than you do." And on top of it all, she had a headache.

"Is everything alright up there?" The voice came from downstairs.

"Mom? Oh crap..." Tsukasa put a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes.

Kagami sat up. "Everything's fine! I... tripped, that's all!" Kagami called down before anyone else could respond. That had come from nowhere, really, but she didn't want to bring her alternate-universe mother into all this confusion. She turned back to the others, and looked at the other Kagami still sitting on the floor, backed up against the far wall. "Look, I'm really sorry about this whole misunderstanding."

Miyuki was squinting, then said quietly, "You seem older, Kagami..." She thought for a while, then said, "I think I get it now... You're from the future!"

Time travel was a possibility. _Anything_ was a possibility. "I don't know, maybe that's what... Wait, why are _you_ suggesting that?" she said.

When Konata spoke, it became obvious things weren't right here. "I don't understand... Who are you?" Her voice was softer. Still the same voice, obviously, but the entire manner was different. Polite, reserved.

Tsukasa sat down on the desk chair, not taking her eyes off of Kagami. "This isn't possible... You really are... What's going on here?"

"I don't know what to say to you... I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Where exactly did you come from?" Tsukasa asked.

Kagami couldn't decide where to start. Maybe she'd just walk out without saying anything - No. Not after what she put them through. They deserved an explanation. "Really, this is all Konata's fault..."

"Me?" Konata said timidly.

"Oh, um, not you. Sorry. The... other Konata, from my world," Kagami corrected herself. She spoke more slowly, trying to think things through despite not having any idea where she was going with it. "I don't know exactly when this all started, since I didn't even know anything was going on at first. But then when she turned up... murdered..."

She started with that. Maybe it was more than they needed to know, since they all stared at her like she was crazy. They were even more confused when she got to the part about how Konata had planned out her own death, and then when she mentioned the part about the demons and how they'd suddenly ended up in Haruhi's world...

"Suzumiya Haruhi? I read those books once..." Konata said. "This... other me... she has the same powers?"

"Yeah. And that's how I ended up here. She's been sending us through different worlds trying to find out where Haruhi went, but we keep on ending up in the wrong ones." Kagami just skipped over the part about this being an anime. They already looked a little doubtful. "I thought I had finally made it home this time, but then I got here and..."

"If there weren't two of you in this room right now, I'd have a lot of trouble believing this." Tsukasa was leaning forward, supporting her chin with one hand.

"I know. It's a lot. But you wanted me to explain, so I did."

"It's pretty cool, though. Alternate worlds and all that," Miyuki said.

"You're going to leave... as soon as possible...?" It was one of the few things she'd heard her other self say since she got here. It was almost quiet enough that she hadn't heard it at all.

"Of course. I probably should've left already, I'm just wasting time..." There was an awkward pause. She didn't know what else to say, so she stood up and went towards the door, then turned around. Something else was coming to her, but she didn't know how to put it into words. "Um... yeah."

Kagami stepped out of the house in a hurry. Now she just wanted out. It didn't matter where they ended up next... Hopefully she'd be able to meet up with the others, because she definitely didn't want to go to another universe all on her own.

"Wait... Kagami?" She heard Tsukasa call after her as she started down the sidewalk.

She stopped to turn around, and saw that Miyuki was standing there too. "What? I get it, I'm going to leave."

"I'm coming with you." Kagami stared at her, but Tsukasa quickly added, "I mean until you find the people you're looking for. I want to make sure you find your way back home okay... Anyways, you're still _kind_ of like my little sister, so I feel like I should."

_Little sister?_ That sounded weird.

"Um... Okay. Thanks," Kagami said. She was completely aware that these people weren't her real friends and family, that she'd technically never met them before in her life. But there was still an odd connection of some sort between herself and them, and she understood on some level why they'd want to help her. No, it didn't make sense... But it made everyone feel better.

They joined her as she headed towards the train station. It seemed likely that the others had gone back into the city. Although those doors never came up anywhere you expected them to, so it could be anywhere... This would all turn out fine, though. As weird as everything was, it still seemed like nothing bad would happen in this world. As far as she knew, this was the way things were meant to be - this world's Konata certainly wasn't going anywhere.

"Konata said she'd stay back home with Kagami," Tsukasa said as they started out. "I mean, the _real_ Kagami. How long do you think this will take, to get you to... whatever this is we're looking for?"

Kagami shrugged. "No clue."

"So how does this alternate universe thing work? I'd like to hear all about it," Miyuki said.

"I wish I could explain it. It doesn't make any sense," Kagami replied. "Konata's the one who's been doing this for two years. Until about a week ago I didn't know anything about this."

None of them spoke as they got to the station and waited for the next one to go into the city.

* * *

It was still something around a hundred years or more before Junpei had even been born, and he was still in this old and really rustic version of Tokyo. By the standards he was used to, this would be a small town. Only even less technically advanced.

Jason had suggested splitting up, trying to find their way out of this world. Konata was insisting they had nothing to do here. The theory was that she'd already created the door. They'd meet up near the dojo in a few hours, and hopefully one of the two groups would have found it. Jason had gone with Koizumi. Junpei was with Konata.

He stared out at the river. It was nice here, sitting out on the riverbank. Not doing anything. That had been Konata's idea.

They weren't even looking for the door. She'd wanted to sit down. She said she was already bored here and just wanted to rest. Well, she was the one with godlike abilities, she was the one who decided when they left. There wasn't much of an option here, so Junpei had gone along with it. Sure, why not take a break for a while? Better than wandering around aimlessly.

He stared out over the water. The way it glistened was interesting. It looked almost real, at the same time that everything around it was hand-drawn in kind of a nineties anime style. There was a dirt road going past behind them, but not many people went past. The ones who did were probably staring at them, the two teenagers sitting there in the weird clothes.

Konata was reading one of the Lucky Star volumes. It was strange to see her looking at it, with her own picture right on the cover. She turned the pages slowly, looking over all the pictures.

He decided to say something. "Shouldn't we at least make an effort to look around? Jason said they'd only be taking the other half of town, so..." His voice trailed off as he noticed she didn't look up at him.

"What I really need to do right now is just slow down. I've been thinking a few things over," she said finally.

Junpei nodded slowly, but really it seemed like they should still be making some kind of physical effort. And honestly, he was getting just a little bit tired of this world. Even less modern convenience than the last one.

She was still more focused on the manga than on him. Shouldn't they be... what, exactly? Finding the door. Which she was in charge of, anyway, with those powers that she didn't even know how to control. Maybe it was best to humor her. And if she wanted to read about her old universe for a while, that was just fine.

He was bored.

"You're completely aware that you're a fictional character... You're okay with that?" Junpei asked her.

She looked up at him. "Well, you are too... Persona was a pretty great series. I spent a ton of hours on it."

"Right, those were video games..." Junpei scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Heh. Those exist in your world, but your anime exists in mine... That's a little confusing."

"Yeah." She nodded, and glanced back down at the book again.

"But it never bothered you?"

"Not really. Once I realized that all these worlds are just as real as mine, I kind of understood. When I first found out, I thought it was cool that I had my own series."

"I guess it is." Junpei considered what Persona - the video game - would be like. He'd never be able to play it. That would just be too awkward.

"Most of what's in Lucky Star never _really_ happened to me, though. I was in Eclipse through most of high school. Things went a little differently."

He watched her, not sure what to say next. There was a smile on her face as she read. Junpei tried to imagine what it would be like to play that game about himself, and everyone else in his life... Fighting the Shadows was a life-or-death struggle, but to people outside his world it was all just a video game. Lucky Star, on the other hand, didn't have quite as much tension. That would make it easier to accept as entertainment for sure.

"This is how things were meant to be, though..." Konata muttered. She didn't look up, and Junpei wasn't sure if she was even addressing him or just thinking out loud. "I was supposed to stay home. Get through high school, and do whatever came next. College, I guess. Heh."

"You always seemed better at fighting than at schoolwork, though."

"Yeah. But to be honest, I cared even_ less_ about school when I was in your world than I did at home."

"Understandable. You were going to leave at the end of the year, weren't you?" he asked.

"And go on to my next assignment. It did seem like a good job. I'm still not sure what I'll do when I get back home, though."

He sighed. "_If _you can get us back home..."

"I'm getting the hang of it, though..." The grin was coming back into her face. A mischievous, catlike grin that she usually _lost_ whenever she talked about her godhood. "Hm, this all looks the way it's supposed to. I don't remember this part about..." She scratched her head. "Come to think of it, when was the first time I told Kagami and Tsukasa about my mom? I don't think it went quite like this..."

Junpei looked over her shoulder at the page. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm trying to figure out how this book got here. Did I create it? Or did I pull the book out of some other world? It all looks accurate, but I'm not sure if anything might have changed if I just generated it out of nowhere. My memory's not perfect, there's no way it could all be right if that's the case."

She went back to reading. He stared at her with his mouth hanging open, not sure how to reply. He actually wasn't sure what she had just said.

"I really did want Kagami and the others to read this manga back when we were in Haruhi's world. It would have cleared a lot up for them. The problem is, I didn't have any copies with me," she said.

He was beginning to process what that meant. "Then where'd you get that...?" Junpei asked. He thought he knew already.

"Well, usually I can call up whatever items I put into storage. You've seen the way Eclipse members do it, right? With weapons and stuff like that. We have to put the object _in_ before it comes out, but then it's there whenever we need it... But I called out this book without ever putting it in. I just wanted it to be there, and... I don't know. I had a good feeling about it," she said, shrugging a bit.

"So you could probably also get us out of here if you had a good feeling about _that,_" Junpei said.

"That was the plan, yeah."

"And?"

"The door should appear over by the dojo where we planned on meeting up. With any luck, it should be there already," Konata said, and went back to reading.

"So we're going to just wait here for a while, then go meet up with them and it'll be right there waiting for us?"

She didn't say anything, just gave a barely perceptible nod. But she looked pleased with herself.

Junpei was having his doubts things would go that way, despite what she'd managed to do with the book. Having a copy of a manga suddenly come into your possession seemed a lot simpler than making a door to another universe spontaneously appear out of nowhere. Within a few hours, once they had gone back, he found he was pleasantly surprised.

* * *

"Your sister's trying to become a professional chef?" Tsukasa asked. "That's weird. I can't cook anything. I don't even bother trying anymore."

"She's talked about wanting to own a restaurant before. I'd like it if that actually happened, I think she'd be good at it," Kagami said. "There's a lot more difference between this world and mine than I realized..."

They'd made it to the center of town. Now that so many people were out here, Kagami was surprised to notice how few variations there were of hair color. Nobody else had any shade of blue or purple. It had been a few hours of wandering around, and it was gradually becoming easier to open up. They were interested in what Kagami's world was like, what was the same, what was different.

Gamers was on their left. How could she forget that? Konata's favorite store, or at least it had been. It looked about the same as it did back home. There didn't seem to be any unfamiliar brands in this world. She was thinking of Topeka, of that Nozz-A-La keychain that had looked so much like Coca-Cola, of the Takuro Spirit she'd driven. Nothing was like that here.

Still, every once in a while one of them would bring up a detail that just struck Kagami as surreal and dreamlike. Miyuki was in Sakuraba's homeroom, along with Tsukasa, and Kuroi didn't seem to exist. The homeroom teacher in 2-B with Konata and Kagami was named Morioka. The Konata still enjoyed video games and manga, but didn't have her usual exuberant personality. Her dad was a doctor and didn't have any interest in that kind of stuff. Miyuki was something of a science fiction enthusiast, to annoying levels.

"I wish I could go see where you're from," Miyuki said. "This just sounds so interesting."

"No. If you ever get the chance to leave this universe, don't take it. It'll ruin everything," Kagami said. That was definitely true. She suddenly became uncomfortably aware of the guns she still had in the duffel bag at her side. "Anyway... I'd expect it's the same as at home, but what's Japan's gun control policy?"

"Huh? It's illegal to own handguns, I think you're allowed to have rifles with a hunting liscense... Why?" Tsukasa said. Then her eyes widened. "Wait, you're carrying _weapons?_"

"I didn't have anywhere else to put them. It's fine. I won't even need to take them out, so we'll just find the way out - "

Tsukasa frowned. "Kagami... How do we know what we're looking for?"

"I guess it would be easiest to look for Rei, if you see her. She's got... white hair," Kagami said, remembering what it was supposed to look like. It had been that way at home and in the Calla, but in the other worlds it had been slightly bluish. The white would still be easy to see.

Tsukasa nodded.

"So all four of these people you're with come from different universes? Fascinating..." Miyuki said.

"I'm beginning to wonder if I should even have let you come," Tsukasa replied. "Just help us out, won't you?"

"Of course."

They continued on, past a building Kagami was pretty sure had been Konata's cosplay cafe. Nothing suggested that anything like that was in there now. Kagami slowed down, taking a better look. There were some bad memories associated with the place now. She was pretty sure she wasn't mistaken...

"Uh... Kagami? Is something wrong?" Miyuki stopped to check out the building with her, trying to see what it was.

Kagami didn't turn her head. "Nothing... It's nothing. Let's keep going."

They turned to walk away. A door opened as somebody left the building.

"Well, it was worth a shot. I thought it would be somewhere around here, maybe, since... Hey, aren't those?"

"Huh? You're right..."

Kagami recognized Rei and Mikuru by their voices right away. She turned around to see them coming out of the doorway, Joshua following behind. She broke into a run to meet them.

"Kagami? What're you doing here... and with them? They made it back?" Rei said.

"You left me alone back there!" Kagami said. "You didn't even wait to check if this was the right place!"

Joshua looked puzzled. "But you said that was your house, didn't you?"

Rei had a knowing grin on her face. "Ah, I get it... Yeah, I know how it must feel. Looks like we got the wrong one. But then who are they?" She pointed over at Tsukasa and Miyuki.

"Uh..."

"You're really from a different world?" Miyuki asked. "That's... whoa."

"W-we were just making sure that Kagami found you again... That's all," Tsukasa said. "Come on, let's go..."

"You're not..." Mikuru started, but didn't know how to finish. "You look like Kagami's friends, though..."

"It's difficult to explain. Right, Kagami?" Rei said.

"Yeah, we'll just leave it at that... You still haven't found the door?"

"No, but I guess that's a good thing, if we were about to leave you in the wrong universe. You wouldn't be able to find your way out, would you?" Rei smiled like it was somehow funny to her.

Rei started off in some direction that she was "almost completely sure" they hadn't checked yet. They turned a corner, and suddenly it was right in front of them. As if it had been waiting... An unmarked door of dark, aged wood, just like the others had been.

"That's certainly convenient," Joshua remarked.

"Huh?" Tsukasa said. She stared ahead, looking for something but she didn't know what it was. "What do you mean?"

"This thing... It doesn't look like much, but it's the way out." Kagami walked towards it. She didn't like to make crossing over into a big ceremony or anything. She just wanted it to be over and done.

From Tsukasa's point of view, Kagami's hand closed around thin air. It was apparent that something was there, but it was completely invisible. She could see the fingers closing around something. A doorknob, maybe. She had said it was just a plain wooden door.

"I don't see anything..." Miyuki said.

"Huh?" Kagami said. "Well, I guess it's..." She didn't know how to put it. "We're the only ones who are supposed to go through. I guess it only works for us."

"So you're going back home then?" Tsukasa said.

"I wish. It just doesn't work like that, though..." Kagami said. "Thanks for everything, though. I'm sorry you had to get involved."

The girl with a yellow ribbon in her short purple hair wasn't really her sister. The voice was somewhat similar, more grown up, maybe. She didn't look like Tsukasa. At least, not how Tsukasa was supposed to look, but a resemblance was there. It had been there when this whole mess had started in that park. But Kagami realized that once she did get home, that's what her sister would look like. For the rest of their lives.

"Is something wrong?" Tsukasa asked.

"N-no... I really need to get going. You should probably get home."

"So we're done with the goodbyes? Let's move on, then," Rei said.

Kagami opened the door, seeing the familiar blackness of what was inside. Anything could be in there. It could be dangerous - most likely, it would be, actually. But eventually she would get back to her real universe and start the long process of forgetting this had ever happened. As much as possible, anyway.

All that Tsukasa and Miyuki saw was Kagami's back as she stepped forward and vanished into thin air.

* * *

Shana moved quickly, turning her blade away from Alucard and going for Nagato instead, trying to catch her off guard. Her katana seemed to flare out and glow as it cut through the air.

And it stopped. Suddenly Nagato had stepped in the way and caught the blade in her hand, even though it was orange with the heat and razor sharp. She didn't say a word, but looked Shana straight in the eyes. Shana responded by wresting the blade free from Nagato's grip and jumping back, her black cloak flaring out in front of her.

"You," she said, addressing Nagato. "I'm not sure who you are, but if you're with _them_ then I'll have to kill you too."

"You're a confident one, aren't you?" Alucard replied.

He fired a shot towards her, but she rolled to the side before it hit the sidewalk and chunks of the pavement exploded. He fired several more, and Miyuki noticed the smile across his face and almost wondered if he was missing intentionally just to play for a little while longer.

She drew the card from her pocket, and tried to remember the words that Negi had taught her. _"Sim Mae Pars! Per Centum Octōgintā Secundās! Ministra Negiī, Tacara Miyuki!"_

Three minutes, hopefully that would be enough time to make a difference. Actually, now that her staff had materialized in her hand and she felt the magic power flowing back into her, Miyuki realized she didn't have much of a plan. This girl couldn't be all bad, she thought they were traitors from Konata's organization for some reason and Miyuki knew that wasn't the case. Besides, she was just a high school student, and Miyuki didn't like the idea of hurting anyone at all...

Alucard was leisurely reloading his gun with more of those explosive rounds, pretending he had no interest in watching Shana go after Spike while he dodged each swing of her blade. He followed up with a flurry of shots, but she was too quick for him to take aim.

All the while this was going on, Shana was attempting to keep an eye on Nagato, and now that Miyuki was armed she was identified as a threat too.

Miyuki had to do something, but she was almost frozen to the spot. She reviewed a few of the spells in her mind, cycling through them quickly. The Latin was easy enough to remember, surprisingly...

She saw Alucard raising the gun again, and Shana's back was turned. She was barely more than a bright orange blur in the dark crimson light of this space. Spike's shots were breaking the windows of a building across the street. Alucard had his goggles off for once; the look in his eyes was that of a predator closing in for the kill.

_"Omne Flammans Flamma Purgatus, Domine Extinctionis et Signum Regenerationis, in Mea Manu Ens Inimicum Edat..."_

At the same time that his finger was closing around the trigger, shooting to actually hit the enemy this time, Miyuki had already finished the incantation. _"Flagrantia Rubicans!"_ She was amazed she had remembered the entire thing.

The burst of flame from her staff met the bullets in midair, where they exploded in a blinding flash of light. It caught Shana's attention, and she whirled around to see what had happened. It was just long enough for Spike to aim and fire. With only a split second to react, Shana managed to avoid a more serious wound but her leg was suddenly bleeding.

No good, she wouldn't be able to defend herself like that...

_"Tui Gratia Jovis Gratia Sit Cura!"_

Shana noticed the gunshot wound closing, and looked up incredulously at Miyuki, who had her staff raised.

"Huh? Why did you - "

"Miyuki! Whose side are you on?" Spike yelled.

How long did she still have to use her magic? Time had slowed down, but it couldn't possibly have been more than a minute or two. It was hard to tell. Once her three minutes were up, Miyuki would be helpless. She was already feeling tired.

Shana shook herself, turning away from Miyuki to jump backward again to where she could keep an eye on both Spike and Alucard. Nagato was standing there completely silent, off to the side near where Spike was. Where did she stand on this whole thing?

"You're good," Shana said. "I should have expected this. So how do you do it? Must be hard destroying an entire universe."

"I've got no idea what you're talking about," Spike said.

"I'd expect you to say that..." Her eyes darted over to Alucard, then back to Miyuki.

Now she was feeling what was left of the time limit expire, there couldn't possibly be any more time left. She had to say something. "Please, I think you have us mistaken with someone else... Can't we just talk this over?"

"You seem to recognize us as a threat to the safety of your universe. Why is this?" Nagato said. It was a simple query, without any emphasis or feeling.

Shana answered her, but didn't lower her guard. She held her sword upright in front of her. "Stop acting like you don't know. Eclipse told me all about you. You've been trying to completely obliterate the worlds, all using our own technology."

"Eclipse's technology?" Spike asked.

"What do you _think_ I was talking about?"

"We don't have anything like that. We got cut off about a week ago."

"I suppose Negi's world was in danger... Didn't we save it, though? I thought that Celestial had been destroyed..." Miyuki said in a quiet voice.

Nagato gave a slight nod. "Correct. The safety of that world was secured."

"How long has this death warrant been out for us, then?" Spike said.

"About a week," Shana replied.

"Really? That's about when it all happened, when they fired everyone... Jesus, they work fast," he said. "Believe me, we have no idea what this is about."

"Are you finished, then?" Alucard said. "If you give up now, you'll survive. If not..."

Shana's eyes went from him, to Nagato, then she lowered the katana slightly. It seemed like she was accepting defeat, but whether she believed them was difficult to tell.

"You are with Eclipse, then," Spike said. "So you still have a functional Talisman. I don't suppose you'd let us use it."

Shana was frowning. She still didn't want to put her trust in them, not after all the stories that had been going around. But they'd spared her life... Of course, the Talisman could be what they were after. It could all be a trick.

"Maybe," she said finally.

Alucard raised his gun, causing Miyuki to raise a hand in silent protest. He didn't fire, he simply pointed the barrel directly at Shana's head and held it, without a hint of a tremble, in place. "It would be in all of our best interest."

"Please don't fight anymore..." Miyuki said quietly.

Shana closed her eyes for a moment and hesitated. She put the katana under her cloak, where it seemed to disappear. Then the Seal vanished, the dark red light lifted, and everything sprang back into motion. Alucard put his gun back into his coat, and people walked by as if they didn't even notice. They had an odd habit of censoring their perception in this world. Miyuki breathed a sigh of relief, as most of the tension lifted along with the Seal.

"I'll only do this for you once, so you better know where you're headed," Shana said. Her voice still had a sharp edge.

Spike gave Alucard a look. "I suppose we should be looking for Haruhi, but now that I think of it..." He turned back to Shana. "You wouldn't know anything about Suzumiya Haruhi, would you?"

"Who? No, I've never heard of her before," Shana said.

"Seriously? What the hell's going on..." Spike sighed. "There's no way to know where to start looking, then. Maybe we should stay on the path. Another door's bound to come up sometime."

"Miyuki." Alucard addressed her without turning his head. "You probably want to go home, correct? I believe I remember the coordinates to your world."

She stared at him, shocked. "Y-yes, that would be... It would be wonderful," she replied.

Nagato didn't offer any input, instead watching a large black raven that had landed nearby. If Miyuki's memory served correctly, those kinds of birds were quite common in Japan. This one was acting a little odd, how it was staying so still, but that was it. After a while it flew away. People were still walking past: businessmen, young children with their mothers, high school students in their uniforms. Yes, there seemed to be a lot that was quite ordinary about this world, even taking Shana into account. But Miyuki's own world was preferable.

Ayanami - that girl who had gone with Kagami - had mentioned going through her neighborhood. According to her account, everyone Miyuki knew hadn't been harmed. And she'd be able to see them again and tell everyone what had happened.

"This sounds as good as anything, I guess," Spike said. "Konata said she wanted us to get you back safely."

"None of you are really trying to... destroy the world, or anything? But why would Eclipse say that?" Shana said.

"A few days ago they cut all of us off from the servers. We all got stuck in one world," Spike explained. "Miyuki here has a friend who was able to find us a way out, and now we're just trying to find our way back home. And also find Suzumiya."

"It seems Eclipse may have taken her, but you insist you know nothing," Alucard said. "You've never heard the name before."

"I haven't. Really," Shana said. "I'm going back to headquarters. Maybe they'll tell me what this is all about." She pulled out a cell phone from her pocket, one that looked a lot like Konata's. As she flipped it open, her expression changed. "What? How would they - ?"

"Is something wrong?" Alucard said, frowning.

She managed to look up from whatever was on her screen. "I-it says I've been... I'm not part of the organization anymore. They must have found out that I'm helping you."

"What? How?" Spike said. "This is exactly like what happened to us back there..."

Shana stared at the screen. "This is all because of you..."

"I'm terribly sorry, we had no idea that this would - "

"I'm sure you didn't," she said, not looking up. Her voice was cold. "Just go, alright?"

"But we don't have anywhere to go... We haven't been able to find the - " Miyuki stopped.

As she had begun speaking, something strange had happened. Miyuki watched as something faded into existence several meters down the sidewalk - taking form as a large rectangle. The brass knob appeared last as the door took shape right before her eyes.

"H-how did that..." she said, pointing ahead at it.

"That's just about the most bizarre thing I've seen..." Spike said.

Shana turned around, searching for what they were talking about. "I don't see anything... What are you talking about?"

"That has to be it, though, doesn't it? It's one of the doors that Konata made. They all must have come from somewhere, I suppose..." Miyuki said. Well, they had to appear, she corrected herself. They weren't made, they simply formed. Why? Did she have some sort of condition for making them, so that they'd materialize whenever they were needed?

"We'll just have to see what's planned for us next, I suppose," Alucard said. He seemed unimpressed by what had just happened. "And... I'd keep my eyes open, if I were you. Maybe you're on their wanted list now too."

Shana couldn't even respond as he led the way through the door that she couldn't see. As the last of them vanished, she was left alone on the street.


	38. Find Our Way Home

"7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Merry Christmas!"

Blast of frigid winter air. People singing. A huge crowd of people singing... something upbeat about Christmas and mistletoe. It had been dark up until the end of the countdown, when there was suddenly a bright flash of light. There was a tree - a huge one, a couple hundred feet tall. Tons of lights, on the tree and everything else. Skyscrapers all around some sort of plaza. And it was _freezing._ Hadn't it been spring a few seconds ago?

Kagami stepped into the middle of the huge crowd, disoriented by the change of scenery. At least people seemed to distracted by the celebration to notice she'd come out of nowhere. Things were no longer animated, this world was entirely three-dimensional and real, which would be good if she hadn't already adjusted to how Lucky Star looked.

"Yeah, it's always a little hard to get your bearings when you come through..." Rei said, as if reading her mind. "Did anyone notice us?"

A few people were staring at them now, but it was hard to cause much of an uproar. Everyone here had too much holiday cheer, apparently. Where the hell _were_ they? The singing was in English, and the voices sounded American.

"Wha... What's going on?" Mikuru had been the last to appear. She had her arms wrapped around her and was shivering.

"And I was just getting used to having purple hair, too... Can't we just have a break?" she said. Nobody paid any attention.

"Hm. I don't suppose this is Japan again. Where are we?" Joshua was more concerned with the skyscrapers all around them. It was night, but most of the windows were dark. The brightest thing around was the tree in the middle...

"Wait a second..." It was a familiar voice. Kagami had heard it not too long ago, but this was definitely a different person (in a manner of speaking). "Kagami? Is that really you?"

She turned around, and saw the last thing she'd been expecting. Konata - not the blue-haired anime girl, but the real-life black-haired midget she was used to. And wearing a Santa Claus hat with the word "Merry" stitched across the front in green, to top it all off.

Kagami didn't say anything for a moment, so Konata continued. She was squinting at her, like she was trying to confirm if this really was who she thought it was. "That's you, isn't it? Man, I forgot what you looked like."

"Konata... Wait, you are the _right_ Konata, aren't you?"

"Of course!" Konata grinned, but then her expression got strangely serious. "What do you mean by that? Never mind, you can tell me later. But wow... It's really been a long time since I've seen you like this. With your... regular hair color, and everything, I mean. You're like a different person."

The idea was a little scary. They'd been _best friends,_ practically, Konata really couldn't remember how things were supposed to look? "Nice to see you too. Where are we, anyway?"

"Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. I've heard of this, actually, it's a really big Christmas thing they do every December - "

"Konata? There you - " Jason stepped out from the crowd, and noticed the others. "Kagami. And... looks like all of you made it safely."

"Everything went fine. I guess. Safety-wise, anyway," Joshua said. "We didn't find anything useful. How about you?"

Junpei spoke up, and although she didn't recognize the face, Kagami remembered him once she heard his voice. "Well... Kind of. We thought we had a lead at first, but it turned out to be nothing. I don't suppose you've heard anything about a man in black?"

Konata had an exhausted expression. "I gave up on that. He could be _anyone_. That won't get us anywhere."

"Strange. I was expecting you to find Haruhi right away," Kagami said. "But, anyway... Konata, I think we need to talk about some things. Alone, if that's okay."

"Fine... Sure. That'd be great. You want to go somewhere?" Konata turned to the others. "Let's meet up around here in... three hours, let's say?"

Jason nodded. "Sounds good. But be careful, we still don't know if things are... stable... in this world. But go ahead, I'll be seeing you, then."

* * *

Chapter 38

When The Year Is Leaving

* * *

They'd stopped at a coffee shop at a street corner, refreshingly bright and warm after the cold night outside. The tables fairly empty, and they took a seat near the window. It was amazing how many people were out on the streets, dressed in warm coats, seeming like the wind and snow didn't bother them.

The waitress came by to fill up their mugs. Konata had ordered a hot chocolate - she'd really gotten into the whole Christmas and winter thing after just arriving a couple hours ago. Kagami just wanted coffee - for the warmth as well as the caffeine.

"If there's anything else I can get you, just call, alright?"

"Sure. Thanks," Konata replied. Her English was flawless. Kagami remembered it now, that class a long time ago when Konata had suddenly been doing so much better with English. Yeah, there was no way somebody could master so much vocabulary and pronunciation without supernatural aid. How had she not seen this earlier?

"This is probably the last place I expected to end up..." Kagami said. She watched the steam coming up from the drinks as she waited for them to cool.

Konata had a newspaper spread out in front of her, and was skimming it over. "True... Hm. It's 1999, by the way."

"Really? Wow." Kagami glanced down at the paper, noticing a headline about the Y2K theories. She'd heard of it, how some people had thought it was going to be the end of the world or whatever, and she smiled a little. "We were about 10 years old then. Seems like a long time ago."

Konata folded up the paper and put it away. "So I really want to hear... What have you been doing? I don't suppose you found anything important..."

"Nope. Just a bunch of dead ends..." Then she remembered something. "Listen, Konata, you never called me, did you?"

"Called you? Like on the phone? No... But this sounds interesting, keep going." Konata leaned forward.

"Well, it wasn't too long after we separated. I got this phone call, and there were... a lot of people on the other end of the line. But then you started talking to me... Or someone was imitating your voice _really_ well, probably," Kagami said. "I was in this town when it happened. Silent Hill, or something."

"You ended up _there?"_ Konata said, her eyes suddenly huge. But not as huge as they had been, thank goodness. And not green. "I'm amazed you came out alive! And you're still sane, too."

"What's that supposed to mean...?" Kagami said. "How do you know about that place?"

"It's a video game. Didn't I..." Konata's voice trailed off, as she tried to remember. "No, I guess I never showed that one to you. But wow."

The snow was really coming down out there. It had been snowing in Silent Hill, too, but that had been completely different. When it was Christmas snow was different... It hardly ever snowed like this back home. It was like something you'd see in a movie, the way all the sidewalks were all white and the street signs were capped with some powder. Kind of nice, actually.

"And also, I ended up in Lucky Star for a while," Kagami said. Konata stared at her, but she cut her off before she could say anything. "It was the wrong one. There was... a_ lot_ wrong about it. Not bad, but it just wasn't the same."

"That must have been weird. I wish I could've seen it," Konata said.

"Of course you would..." Kagami took a sip of her coffee, and found it had cooled down enough. "I think we should regroup."

"Huh?"

"I don't know how exactly, but once we leave this world I want to be on a team with you. It's bad enough not knowing where Tsukasa and Miyuki are. Speaking of which, if we ever find them, they're coming with the two of us too."

"Sounds reasonable..." Konata nodded. "Yeah, good plan. You seem to be doing better with all of these different worlds, though. It's like I said. You get used to it after a while."

"Maybe," Kagami said. She wasn't about to get too used to it, but compared to the first time she'd been dropped into another world? Yeah, it got a lot easier since then. "I think I understand now, though... These are all real worlds, even if they're not the one we came from. What you were doing was pretty important. You must have helped a lot of people. I don't know if you're thinking about trying to continue, but..."

"No." Konata said it very plainly. "Once we all get home, I'm staying there. I never should have left in the first place."

Kagami stared at her, surprised at how firmly she insisted on it. It was unexpectedly mature. She didn't know how to respond, but she was glad. Although it might be difficult to make up for all that lost time. And the fact that Konata had already been... That's right. What _were_ they supposed to do with Konata's grave, now, anyway? Not to mention everything else... Once you were dead, you weren't supposed to just come back and pick up where you left off.

"It's not going to be easy... These past few days, whenever I wake up and remember what's going on, how I'm in another world, and that you're still alive, I can't believe it. I don't even believe it _now."_

"I'll make it work somehow. It has to." Konata went back to the newspaper, and took a sip of her hot chocolate. Then she seemed to remember something. "Oh, right. I wanted to show this to you."

She glanced around to make sure nobody was watching, reached beneath the table, and Kagami saw a dim white flash from underneath as she summoned something in her hand. She brought it up, and Kagami saw what it was - a book. A manga, actually. Konata handed it to her, and she examined the cover. _Lucky Star._ And this one had her on the cover. The other two girls she didn't recognize at first. One had long orange hair with a large part towards the left side of her forehead, the other had messy short black hair and yellow eyes...

"Is that Misao and Ayano?" Kagami said. "And there I am..."

This was the manga Konata had been talking about. It seriously was about their lives, then. And if Misao and Ayano were on the cover, then they must be a pretty big focus too. Kagami wondered how many other people got to be characters in this. At first she didn't even want to open it and look inside, but it was too tempting.

Wait, did it say the writer's name was Yoshimizu _Kagami?_

"So am I supposed to be named after this mangaka or something?" she said.

"I dunno... That's actually a guy, by the way."

_"What?"_

"I guess he just likes his name or something. It's a good name." Konata didn't seem bothered by it, but it was just so weird. This author must think he made all of them up, but that wasn't true at all.

Dropping the conversation momentarily, Kagami forced herself to skim through a few pages. She didn't recognize the conversations at first. Had Konata ever asked her about why she wore twin ponytails? Thinking back, Kagami remembered it had started back in middle school when somebody had told her it looked cute. No, she'd never told anyone that story before. She'd just started wearing her hair like that and decided to stick with it. She'd never told Konata or anyone else why.

"This doesn't look like anything I remember saying," Kagami said, flipping through a few more pages. "I thought you said it was based on our lives."

"Yeah, well... This is a later volume, and most of this stuff happened in our third year..." Konata said. "I think I was gone before any of this actually happened."

"So it was _meant_ to happen, but it _didn't,"_ Kagami replied.

"Pretty much."

Kagami could definitely see how they _could_ have done some of the things from this manga. She wished their lives would've had a chance to happen this way. It was all so much simpler than what was going on now. It was no use anymore, all that was past. She closed the book and handed it back to Konata.

"That was a little awkward," she said.

"Most people don't like to see anything suggesting they're a fictional character," Konata said. "I'm fine with it, though. We've got such a huge fanbase, and the two of us are especially - wait, isn't that...?" She stood up quickly and ran outside. "I'll be right back! Don't let anyone touch my drink!"

A cold breeze blew in as the door swung shut behind her, and Konata disappeared somewhere into the crowd of people walking by. Kagami sat by herself, staring out the window and eventually seeing where Konata had gotten to. A puff of steam came out of her mouth each time she spoke, but from inside Kagami couldn't hear the words. She was talking to someone, it must've been whoever she'd recognized. Kagami leaned forward to see better - no, it couldn't be...

For the life of her, Kagami couldn't remember the names of the two men, one of them dressed all in red with a wide-brimmed hat and the other one in the blue business suit. But she _did_ recognize Nagato, and she definitely couldn't mistake Miyuki. Konata was making a gesture towards the cafe, and it looked like Miyuki saw her sitting there. The two of them headed back inside together.

"Kagami-san! I'm so glad to see you again," Miyuki said. She took a seat across the table, next to Konata.

Kagami couldn't believe her eyes. "Miyuki?"

To judge by her expression, you wouldn't think that anything had happened to her. She still had her usual polite smile on her face. "This is quite an odd place to find both of you."

"We only just arrived a couple hours ago. So this makes three of us, now..." Konata was grinning. "We'll rearrange the teams so that all of us are together. From what I hear, Kagami's got amazing skill with handguns now, so we're pretty set as far as defensive power goes."

Kagami shifted uncomfortably, and mindlessly put one hand on her bag. "It's nothing much, it's just..."

"Really?" Miyuki seemed mildly surprised at the news, with a similar expression as if she'd been told that Kagami had received a good internship position. "I've become somewhat skilled with magic, myself..."

"Whoa. I guess it fits you, but that's still really surprising," Konata said. "How did that end up happening?"

"I met a boy who taught it to me. Negi Springfield." Miyuki smiled as she remembered him. He'd been such a nice boy. After that last skirmish, she had wished she could thank him for his help.

"Negi?" Konata said, her eyes wide. "You actually met him? And you formed a pact, I'm guessing... I wish I could've seen this!" She shook her head sadly.

"You've heard of him?"

"From one of your animes, probably," Kagami said, giving Konata a look.

"Kind of. I liked the manga better," she replied.

"But something bothered me about that world," Miyuki continued. She turned to Konata. "You know about how Suzumiya-san can create closed space, I'm sure. That's right, they said you could do that too... Oh, I'm sorry, I'm going off the subject!" She blushed, then continued. "But one of those spaces opened up in Negi's world even though Nagato-san said Suzumiya-san wasn't there."

"That is weird..." Konata said. "What happened?"

"Negi was able to stop it, thankfully... But we never found out how it happened."

They talked for a while more, and Miyuki ordered a tea when the waitress came back. Kagami finished her coffee and leaned back in her chair. She stared across the table at Konata. She didn't look like much, but the last few days were enough proof that there was more to her than anyone realized. Who knows, maybe she'd created closed space in a few other worlds. Who was to say that, once she learned about her power, it got even stronger?

At the same time, something about the Santa Claus hat and hot chocolate made Kagami wonder just how much of the old Konata was left. She wasn't completely different from the person she'd used to know. Right now, just hanging out at a cafe, it was just like old times... minus the fact that they were in America, and that one person was missing.

"So if the three of us are here, then where do you think Tsukasa is?" Kagami asked.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she's fine..." Konata said. "Actually, maybe she ended up going back home. I was trying to get a way back there when this all started, so maybe that's where she ended up."

"That's a good thought..." Kagami said. She wanted to believe that.

"So maybe she never ended up in any danger at all," Konata said. She leaned back in her chair and stared out the window. "That would make one thing I did right."

"That reminds me, did any of you meet other members of Eclipse?" Miyuki said. "We met one girl from the Organization in the last world we stopped in, and she was going to let me return home... But then it turned out they deactivated her... Talisman, if I remember right?" She looked to Konata for confirmation.

"Seriously? They don't cut people off very often. It's only for really serious issues. I don't know what's going on..."

"When we asked her about Suzumiya-san, she said she'd never heard of her before. But she did recognize _us,_ since Eclipse wanted us to be killed..." Miyuki's voice had dropped to a whisper.

"They want to - ?" Kagami said. She thought of Tsukasa again. Tsukasa hadn't turned up yet. There really was no guarantee that she had ended up at home, or that she was safe, or even still alive.

"They already tried once, didn't they? I'm just glad we _didn't_ run into any others..." Konata said. "I really am sorry that you guys got tied up in all this. But I'm going to set it all right again."

"I'm sure you can, Konata-san," Miyuki said. "Uh... Anyway, I haven't been here very long, but I'd like to see some more of the city as long as we're here."

"That sounds good," Kagami said. "I'm ready to go if you guys are."

Konata pulled out some American bills from her pocket, and left them on the table. They headed back out into the snow. The wind had died down, and the night was actually pretty enjoyable now.

* * *

Tsukasa shivered in the winter air. Since arriving in the latest world, it had been bitterly cold. It was Christmas here, and they were in New York City. They'd figured out that much by walking around. When they'd left the forest where they'd fought the bear, they had come out in the middle of some huge department store. Now they were out on the streets, and Tsukasa knew how this went. Everything would go fine for a while - the holiday atmosphere was so cheerful in this world, especially - and then something terrible would happen. It always did.

Really, there was nothing like Christmas to make you want to spend time at home with your family.

This could have been a fun place to go on a vacation, under normal circumstances. Miyuki went overseas sometimes, maybe she'd been here before. Tsukasa couldn't remember. There were all kinds of stores and restaurants of so many nationalities in just a few blocks of walking. She'd never even left Japan before. Well, technically... She supposed the last world might not have even _had_ a Japan.

"The holidays really bring back memories..." Kyon said. "Not all good ones, but there were a few good years from back when I was a kid."

"If it's going to be this cold, we should find a place to stay that's actually halfway decent this time," Dante said. "I'm not staying in some city park overnight in this weather."

Kamina started arguing with him, and Tsukasa just tried to tune them out. No need to make this unpleasant already... It was still so peaceful out. Maybe this world would be okay. Still, she was thankful that all three of them were with her. Konata had really chosen some good people to take care of her through all of this. Konata...

Konata was standing right over there, down the street.

With Miyuki.

And with Kagami.

_"Kagami?"_ Tsukasa ran forward and wrapped her arms around her sister in a tight hug.

"Tsukasa...?" Kagami said. "You're alright... I'm so glad to see you!"

"Things went well on our end, Konata," Kamina said, following up behind Tsukasa. "How's your search been going?"

"What do you mean, things went well?" Kyon said. "We nearly _died_ - "

"That's everyone now, isn't it?" Konata said. "All of the teams ended up here. Um, Tsukasa, I'm sure you want to come with us for a while." Tsukasa nodded. "I thought so. We've got about an hour or so before we're supposed to meet up back in Rockefeller. It's over that way." She pointed.

"Everyone's here, then? Asahina..." Kyon turned to Kagami. "She was with you, right? Is she alright?"

Kagami nodded. "A little traumatized. Me too, I guess, but everyone's alright."

"Great... I can't wait to hear about this," Kyon said.

"We'll be reforming teams later, so maybe we'll put the two of you together, too," Konata said. "But this means that none of us ended up back home like I wanted..."

"How long have all of you been together?" Tsukasa said. "I thought we all went to different worlds."

"I only arrived less than an hour ago," Miyuki said. "It seems Konata brought us all to this world to meet one another again. We thought that you had made it back to our world."

"Anyway, there's still a bit of time left until we're supposed to go back," Konata said. "Tsukasa, want to come with us for a while? Just the four of us?"

Tsukasa smiled. She didn't need to say anything, it was obvious. She and Konata said some quick goodbyes to Kyon and Kamina, and Tsukasa muttered some thank-yous to the three of them.

They crossed the street and continued down Second Avenue, while the other three turned a corner in the other direction. Tsukasa couldn't help but notice the occasional number over someone in the crowd. Over an older person, or somebody who just looked tired and sick.

"That's really sad..." she said quietly as she watched one of them pass by.

"Huh? What is?" Kagami asked.

"Oh... It's n-nothing."

* * *

"It's good to have everyone back together for Christmas, don't you think?" Konata said. They'd been walking around together for an hour or so now. It felt like there was no hurry to get back.

"It was Christmas a couple months ago... It's supposed to be spring right now." Kagami shivered. "I couldn't wait for it to get warm again..."

Miyuki laughed. "I think this is great. I've always wanted to see what Christmas in New York is like..."

"Too bad none of us ever got dates any year, though. I thought that was a required part of the high school experience..." Konata said. "Of course, I thought that maybe I'd get one at Gekkokan. My other high school, I mean. You might not believe it, but I was pretty popular over there."

Kagami realized that she couldn't say that things didn't happen like they did in manga anymore. She used to try to convince Konata of that, and all that time, they'd really been... She must've sounded really stupid.

"But how do you know none of us got a date for Christmas? You've been dead for a year," Kagami said.

"Wait... you don't mean - ?" Konata stared at her in disbelief.

"No. I was just kidding."

"Of course, just go to the right universe, and guys would be all over us," Konata continued.

"Geez, I wonder if that's Yoshimizu-san's idea of a joke..." Kagami muttered.

"Yoshimizu-san...?" Tsukasa said.

One of the buildings had a digital time display up in lights. They still had about an hour until they were supposed to meet and get into their new teams. But whatever happened, the four of them were going to stay together for sure. It already seemed like everything was beginning to return to normal, just being all together like this.

"You know, I've actually been to America a few times. I don't usually see it as peaceful as this, since it's usually for work," Konata said. "Hey, Miyuki, haven't you visited over here before?"

"Yes, my family has come on short vacations. This would be my first time in New York, though," she replied. "But... You said this isn't our world."

"Nope. The year's wrong, and who knows what else might be different... Plus, I've already mentioned that our world won't look real."

"At least this version of America's still alive and healthy," Kagami said. "Not like Topeka was..."

"Topeka? You mean Kansas? I was there for a while..." Miyuki said. "There had been some kind of plague, it said so on the newspaper - "

"Wait, you mean the superflu? The same thing happened in the Topeka I went to, but..." Kagami's voice trailed off. "When did you end up there?"

Miyuki explained, to the best of her ability, the entire incident with Blaine the Mono. It was difficult to describe in terms that sounded sane or logical, but that whole ordeal hadn't been sane... Though Blaine had been all too logical. "And once we reached the end, we were in Topeka, like it had said on the map, but everyone there had been..."

"When we got there, it was the first place we saw in that world," Kagami said once Miyuki had finished. "We drove out, and that's when we got to the Calla... But once we were there, it didn't seem like America at all. And there were still people living there. They told me once that there were hundreds of villages all scattered around those plains. I actually think it might've been a completely different universe."

"I don't think Lud was part of that world, either, but we got there on the train. It was even marked on Blaine's map," Miyuki said.

"Um... Something I don't think I mentioned..." Konata said suddenly. "This whole superflu... It's the same thing that happened in Jason's world. It's the reason why he left his world and joined Eclipse in the first place."

"You don't think that you both went to his world... do you?" Tsukasa said.

"It's hard to say. Maybe that's happened in a lot of different worlds..." Konata said.

They had come to a street corner. A small park was on their side, surrounded by tall buildings. Some blue lights were strung around one of the trees, and as Konata walked under it, for just a second she looked like... But then it was gone, as quickly as it had come. They waited to cross the street, but they had no destination in mind.

"Huh..." Kagami stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Miyuki asked, but Kagami put up a hand to signal her to be quiet.

"Listen to that... What song is that? It's weird, I feel like I've heard it somewhere."

They were quiet for a moment. There was music being played not far off from the park they had stopped in. There was a small fountain with a statue of a turtle. A couple people dressed in heavy winter coats were seated on benches around it even though it had been turned off in the cold weather. Tsukasa looked at each of the others, trying to figure out what they were supposed to be listening for.

"Isn't that Jingle Bells?" Konata said finally.

"No, not that one. It's like a choir or something. It's really pretty..." Kagami said, shaking her head. She turned towards a skyscraper across the street, staring up at the rows of glass windows. Only a few of them had lights on, most of it was just a dark grey.

The traffic came to a stop, and the walk signal turned on. Kagami was quick to cross the street and get to that building, whatever it was. There wasn't any music coming from inside. The song from down the street had changed to some other song that was just instrumental with no vocals.

Tsukasa followed after her. "I still don't hear anything..." She glanced up at the letters that named the place 2 Hammarskjöld Plaza.

Konata looked over to her left down Second Avenue, thinking maybe they should head back to meet up with the others, but instead they were going up the steps that led to the lobby.

"It's definitely coming from in here," Kagami said.

"Umm, onee-chan, I still don't know what you're talking about," Tsukasa said.

It was much warmer inside the building, and a few people were standing around inside. It looked impressive with its marble floors and high ceiling, at least three stories above them. The music from outside had faded out, and there weren't many holiday decorations in here, but something about the building was undeniably pleasant. Everyone had a look on their face like they knew it.

"It's getting so _loud,"_ Kagami said.

"Is it, now?" Konata said. "You know, you might be on to something, but I still don't hear anything."

"There is something unusual about this building, though. I can't seem to place it," Miyuki said.

Kagami kept on walking, not stopping until she reached the center. Someone had planted a small garden in the middle. There were velvet ropes around it, just a few square feet of plants. A few small palms, some ferns, and in the center, a single red rose. Kagami seemed to be staring into it.

"Hm. That's nice," Konata said, but Kagami didn't seem to notice her.

There was a brass plaque erected in front of the small dirt patch. Tsukasa noticed it first, instantly noticing what was strange about it.

GIVEN BY THE TET CORPORATION

IN HONOR OF

EDWARD CANTOR DEAN

AND

JOHN "JAKE" CHAMBERS

GOOD OVER EVIL, THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD

Miyuki read it too. "This... it's inscribed in Japanese? That's strange, I wonder why they would do that... They sound like English names."

Kagami just moved in closer to get a better look at the garden. It was that rose in the middle. The voices didn't make any sense, but they were coming from there. And maybe she could make out... were they saying her name? Something in the rose was moving, it looked like.

"I know it's just an office building, but... I kind of like it here..." Tsukasa said.

Then they were gone.


	39. The Court of the Crimson King

Chapter 39

Horizons Change

* * *

Where there had been a single rose, in the huge, marble-floored lobby of a New York skyscraper, there were suddenly millions. The landscape was bathed in an orange light from the sun which was either rising or setting over the horizon. It was difficult to tell if it was the beginning or end of the day. More important was the huge black stone tower ahead of them.

"Konata...?" Kagami said. It was like she had come out of a trance. "What is this? What the hell did you _do?"_

"I swear, I didn't do this... I think," Konata replied. "There's something weird about this place, though... I'm getting a strange feeling."

"Are you okay?" Tsukasa said.

"You don't feel anything?" Konata looked over at her, but she shook her head.

It wasn't a bad feeling. Actually, this place had really positive vibes. And towers were usually significant. People rarely built something like that for nothing, and usually in games there would be something really good if you made it to the top. Once you were standing there with the whole building towering over you ominously, you just knew something was going to happen.

"Wait... This is the same thing that happened back in Topeka..." Kagami was staring up at the clouds. They seemed to be forming rings around the Tower, and the Tower itself was stretching up above them... "Is this where everything was leading?"

"This isn't like the one that was in our world, is it? It might have things inside," Tsukasa said. "Maybe we shouldn't go in."

"It's too quiet for that, it's nothing like that one was. We should check it out." Konata was gazing around, and all that she could see were the tower and all those roses. They stretched on forever.

The rose from New York was the Tower in this world.

"I suppose there's not much else we can do," Miyuki said.

Tsukasa turned to Konata with a questioning eyes. Konata always knew what to do in these situations. She'd helped them when they'd ended up in Haruhi's world, after all. She had been part of that organization. Kamina had told her even more about it, about when he'd worked with Konata and how she was so capable in any situation. Konata would be able to make it through whatever was ahead, of course she would.

Kagami stood up. "Fine. I don't think there's any way back."

"This is just our first universe we're taking on together," Konata said. She grinned, but really she just hoped that this was the end of the road. The feeling the Tower gave her was an indescribable sensation of peace. It reminded her of home, where she desperately wanted to be right now. Her story was supposed to be

_a collection of short scenes, all about regular daily life, light-hearted stuff that everyone could relate to. Or at least that was what she'd told the publishers for the magazine. They ran some short manga series, if she could just get this one in, who knows where she would get to next? Her own anime series, a whole franchise for her characters?_

_Imagine that. Izumi Konata, a world-famous mangaka. It could happen._

_She'd based the series off of herself and her friends - slightly altered, not entirely true to life. It was artistic license. Besides, it made the characters more believable, people could relate to them. That was a good selling point._

_She hoped it would be. It had been a while since she'd contacted the publisher. Not getting any feedback was just unbearable. She couldn't take this much longer. Please, just accept it, or say you hate it, anything. She held the publishing agents in almost religious esteem._

_Konata had put her heart and soul - not to mention most of her memories of high school - into this manga. To tell the truth, if they were going to reject it, she didn't want to hear anything about it. Let's see - the storyline? There was none, to tell the truth, that was part of the appeal. But she'd showed some strips to her friends and they'd liked them. The artwork was good. She hoped it wasn't too blatantly ripped off of one particular artist. She'd tried to make her own style, but that was hard. It was all influenced by one person or another. Overall, she was satisfied with the effort._

_And then, a few days later, it came. The letter. They'd liked it. Her own work was going to be published in Newtype! She rushed to the phone, calling everyone she knew, insisting that she hadn't been wasting her time trying to do this. It was too good to be true. Kagami couldn't even believe that Konata had accomplished for something with her life. She'd thought Konata was going to live with her dad until she was thirty or so._

_"I can't believe_

we're actually going through with this," Kagami said. She had her arms folded and was surveying the area around them.

"Nothing's going to happen. It'll be fine," Konata said. "Besides, do you think that anything in there could really be as bad as what we've already gone through?"

Konata looked again at the tower, reaching up to the sky. Every video game instinct she had was telling her that this was the end of the journey. After all, once you went up to the top of a tower, all you could do was turn around and go back, right? It was a dead end, technically, but there was always something important at the top. Like a final boss...

"Let's go," Konata said. "I'll lead the way. And, um, be careful."

There were rows of windows all the way around the tower, on each floor, and a balcony several stories up. Her eyes moved down each row to find the door at the tower's base. A breeze went past, blowing her black hair all around her and making waves in the sea of roses, but there was no other sound or movement.

A road led up to the door, paved with light-colored cobblestones. The tower was growing larger as they approached, no longer seeming like some slender thing reaching up but a huge, wide pillar. They stopped just before the entrance.

"Kona-chan... Are you sure we should go in there?" Tsukasa was staring up the flight of steps that led to the door. "I still don't like this."

Konata hesitated, then turned to her. "I told you. Everything's going to be fine... You've been okay all the way up to this point, right?"

"Y-yeah..."

"This just looks dangerous. I really think that we should... I mean, you could get us back to New York if you wanted, couldn't you, Konata?" Kagami said. "Maybe we shouldn't go in without the others. It'll be safer."

They all fell silent again. Konata put a hand against the tower, leaning on it, inspecting it. It was made out of brick, but other than that it reminded her of the black marble in the Eclipse headquarters. And now that she actually touched it, she could feel its power. It seemed in tune with hers. Anything she wanted could be possible right now, she was more in control than ever. If she wanted to go back to New York, she could create the door right here and now.

Actually, she could go back home right now. It would be just as simple.

"Everyone back home must be worried about us... But we'll see them again soon," she said.

"What do you mean?" Miyuki said.

"This is the last part of the journey," Konata replied. "After this, all of us are going home. Let's not waste any time. We can do this."

She climbed the stairs up to the door. She heard the footsteps behind her as her friends followed her. They would be home soon. She could start a new beginning in her life, she'd see her dad and Yutaka, and everyone else she'd left behind, she could explain everything to them... She'd be back in

_her old world was just a barely-remembered haze in her memory now. Konata could no longer remember how many years it had been since she'd started working for Eclipse. It had been only one year after she'd started that she'd gone full-time. Now that world wasn't even her "home world" anymore. She had no home world._

_She'd attended so many high schools that she couldn't even remember the name of the one she'd used to go to. Her body didn't change much. Just like her mother had, she'd stayed childlike all the way into adulthood, like she'd just stopped growing in her early teens. She could keep on going to high school for years to come._

_Of course, doing the same thing all the time got boring, so Konata often mixed it up a bit. She might become a fantasy hero in some old-fashioned world, kind of like the MMOs she used to play all the time. Or she'd go into space, travel between different planets, that kind of thing. She took the high school missions whenever she wanted to slow down for a while and take it easy._

_Kagami, Tsukasa, Miyuki... they'd been good friends. She'd never forget them. And she was sure they'd never forget her, either. But they all thought she had died, and in a way, the old Konata had. She could never go back to a completely ordinary life, not after experiencing what was out there. She'd begun to think of everyone back home as being dead too, in a sense. She had about as much hope of seeing them again as if they were. She knew she could look at a copy of a Lucky Star manga whenever she wanted to, but she never did. It would be too much. Better just to leave it all behind and not remind herself of the few good things she'd given up on._

_Right now, she had some options. She'd just finished cleaning up some alien invasion that had happened someplace where it wasn't supposed to - she was almost sure that world had been K-On, that one anime that Kyoto Animation had made after Lucky Star, but she wasn't sure. Now she had a choice between a few options. She could go to an alternate earth in a primitive age and slay a few dragons that were threatening a human settlement, or she could sign up to become a Gundam pilot to add some extra strength before they got overwhelmed..._

_Her dad had liked that show._

_There were always thousands of missions open, and hundreds that sounded appealing to her. As long as she kept taking these missions, she could suppress all those memories. Besides, she had a job here. Whenever she felt this way, all she had to do was remind herself of where she would be now if she hadn't joined. And that was nowhere. What kind of normal, single-universe occupation would be right for her? Nothing. This was what she had._

_It wasn't bad. She loved this job. It was only common sense that she should give everything else up and become a full-time Eclipse member. She could contribute something important and valuable this way. Throughout the years, she'd met new people in the Organization, and she had so many friends. It wasn't as if she were alone. Quite the opposite. She had more friends and acquaintances than she'd ever had back home._

_Why had she started thinking about home now? How many years had it been? Too many. This was no time to consider her life's direction. There were people who needed her right now more than her old friends ever had, people whose very lives depended on her completing her missions. As far as options for her life went, there had been_

nothing impressive inside, once they had entered. All that they found was a small corridor, a staircase leading up to the next level of the Tower. It ran around the outer circumference of the structure, and as the entrance closed behind them all the light was coming from those windows running along the side. It curved around, and from here it was hard to see just how long it would go.

"That's probably all the way to the top," Kagami said. Her voice echoed in the unadorned stone room. "Great."

The staircase itself was only wide enough for one person. They'd have to go single-file. Konata stepped forward to take the lead.

"We're going all the way up there?" Tsukasa said. She watched the passage as if something could come down it and attack them at any moment.

"I'll take the lead," Konata said. A sword appeared in her hand, inside a scabbard with a strap that she put over her shoulder. She drew the blade out, which erupted into orange flame. It added a bit more light to the passage. "We'll take it nice and easy, alright? It's going to be fine."

Kagami went second, with Tsukasa staying close behind. Miyuki came last, keeping a careful watch on their back. The stairs didn't go up very far at all. Before they knew it, they were to a landing with a door leading into a room in the center. Konata turned around to the others, and Kagami nodded while reaching into the bag at her side. They opened the door...

Nothing. The room was empty. There was another exit on the other side.

"Careful... We'll take it slow," Konata said. Even so, she didn't feel like they were in danger. There wasn't anything that could pose a threat to her, anyway, she was feeling like she could handle anything. And would anything here even try to harm them? It didn't seem like it would.

Tsukasa muttered something, like she was reassuring herself of some little fact. "None of us have numbers... So it means that nothing can..."

"Huh?" Konata said, looking back over her shoulder.

"N-nothing... It was nothing."

"So how tall do you think the whole building was? If we have to climb all the way to the top of this thing with nothing happening, that's just a hassle." Kagami had lowered her guard without drawing a weapon. She stared ahead at the exit on the other side.

"I couldn't even guess how high this will be," Miyuki said. "It seemed big even compared to some of the New York buildings."

"And if there's nothing at the top?" Kagami said. "We've taken enough wrong turns already.

"There won't be." Konata continued across the room, her eyes moving over the walls, the ceiling, back to the way they'd come from, and seeing nothing. But there was something about this place that was just so impressive, and it wasn't anything physical. It was in the air.

They reached the other side of the room, opened the door which was much like the one they'd come in by, and saw a staircase leading further up. Everything was the same - the windows, the bare black walls, the steps. On this side of the tower there was less sunlight, but Laevateinn was still burning in Konata's hand to reveal the way forward.

"Let's just hurry," she said.

"This is quite an odd architectural design..." Miyuki said. She was counting quietly under her breath as they climbed. They reached the next landing. "...Nineteen," she finished. "It seemed like the same length as the last one."

_Nineteen,_ Konata thought. Probably not a coincidence... but what did it mean?

Something in the next room made her stop, something that she saw right after opening the door. The room had no furniture, much like the last one, but something was lying in the center. A red spot on the black floor.

Putting her sword back into its sheath, Konata walked over to the small band of red cloth and picked it up. It was a brigade leader's armband, according to what was written on it in permanent marker. It was the same kind of armband that Haruhi

_always wore whenever they met in the clubroom. Konata had joined several weeks ago, yet another mysterious transfer student, this time coming from a high school in Tokyo. The usual story. She'd been prepared with a backstory in case anyone asked about her family, gotten an apartment, furnished it to her liking - plenty of manga, a PlayStation, a fairly nice TV, memorabilia from plenty of her favorite anime as long as they weren't Suzumiya Haruhi._

_Haruhi had wanted aliens, time travelers, espers, and sliders. Konata was just there to fill in that fourth category. She'd told Kyon about it according to Eclipse's guidelines. He could know about the alternate universes, just nothing about being a fictional character, and nothing about where Konata had really come from. She'd broken the news to him last, after all the others had revealed themselves. He was a little downcast - her obsessive otaku nature had always bothered him, but he'd at least liked to believe that she was otherwise a normal human._

_This was all as she'd wanted it to be. Konata was to attend North High for all three years. It was the assignment she'd always dreamed of, and the best part was that it was going to end up being her longest, as well._

_It wasn't something that could be done overnight like her earlier assignments had been. This required a full-time commitment. It was why she'd left home in the first place... It was for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like this. It had been worth it, right?_

_Haruhi had taken a liking to her right away. All Konata had to do was be herself. She saw life in terms of video game and anime plot structures, classified real people in terms of character archetypes. She was getting a reputation as being nearly as eccentric as Haruhi herself. Once she had actually approached the brigade (on her own free will, much to everyone's shock) and stated an interest in finding aliens, time travelers, and espers, she'd been accepted without hesitation._

_Club meetings were held almost every day. Sometimes Haruhi would get too bored and wouldn't show up, and so everyone would leave early. Other times she'd have some kind of plan that Konata was all too glad to be a part of, especially if it involved exploiting Mikuru's amazing moe factor in some way. Weekends they'd usually have some sort of get-together to look for supernatural phenomena around the town. Every couple of nights, Konata would go off-universe and actually find something like that. Just for some fun and training._

_She was particularly glad to have put a stop to Endless Eight fairly quickly. She'd always thought that was a pretty cheap thing for Kyoto Animation to do, repeating the same episode eight times... And in reality, it had repeated far more than even that. Nagato had told them that those two weeks had repeated four times, and so Konata had later made a casual suggestion of how they could finish up their summer vacation together. Things were back to normal in a flash. Nagato probably had no idea what could have happened otherwise._

_December was approaching, so Konata was waiting to see if she'd get any special instructions from Eclipse. Thinking back to what had happened in Disappearance - which had been a great movie, she thought - it seemed like that was right up her alley. If reality shifted into some alternate dimension, that was exactly where being a slider came in. It wasn't all just fun and games. Her real purpose here, like the other club members, was to_

prevent the end of the world.

Even after just climbing a few stories up the Tower, Konata could tell what this feeling was. The Tower was the center of all universes, it was everything that existed all at once, and just by being here she could tap into that power. Haruhi's power was the same as hers, and if Haruhi had ever been here, who knows what she could've done?

"Wait... That's Haruhi's. So does that mean she was here?" Kagami said. "Or maybe she still is... Maybe you're right, this might really be the end."

"It's not Haruhi's," Konata responded. She turned it over in her hands as she spoke. "I figured having my own handmade armband made my outfit at the cafe a bit more authentic... This is definitely the same one."

The writing was in black permanent marker. The handwriting was a bit messy, but still carefully printed. She remembered when she'd made this. After using it so much, she was easily able to recognize it as the one she'd made. At first she hadn't wanted to believe that, but it was true. Somehow, this had ended up in this Tower, even though she'd never been here before. Who had brought it here? And why?

"But what does that mean?" Tsukasa asked.

"Who knows?" Konata said. She thought a moment, then decided to leave it there where she'd found it. "Maybe we'll find out... But we have to keep going now. We're onto something."

On the next few floors, there were even more objects. All of them were things Konata recognized well. A sword covered in green slime that she realized was the one she'd used on her very first training run in the mountains. There was a torn jacket covered in blood and bullet holes... She'd been wearing it when she'd died the first time. A school desk like the kind that they had in Ryoo (it was probably the exact one that Konata had used, she realized).

How any of these things had gotten here was beyond her. The armband seemed easy enough to get here, but the desk? What was the purpose of it, anyway? And the sword she was almost sure she had given back to

_Jason Ellis, the exchange student from America, and Konata's first experience resembling a romantic relationship. She wasn't going to tell anyone what was going on. She'd decided that was the best way to do it - it would be something special just between the two of them._

_Konata was the first one out of all her friends to ever actually have a boyfriend. She used to tease Kagami about it all the time, how they were both single and alone. Tsukasa and Miyuki didn't really seem to care, but Kagami had some kind of self-esteem issue or something about it. And actually, Konata couldn't see why she'd never made it with anyone. And, to be honest, she wasn't sure how this had all started with Jason._

_He'd been lost on that first day. Konata had been the first person he'd talked to, and it had turned out that they were in the same class, and then he'd joined them at lunch - just to meet some new friends at a new school, nothing more than that. It had been interesting to meet someone from overseas. He talked a lot about how things were different here in Japan, like how his old school back home didn't even have uniforms and how there wasn't as much public transportation. Konata had never been interested in America all that much, especially considering how she'd probably have to improve her English by a lot in order to visit, but hearing him talk about it, it sounded so..._

_And after that, it had kind of started out slow. They talked at school a few times, eventually Jason had started joining them if they stopped somewhere in the city after school. Then he and Konata started going places by themselves._

_Kagami'd probably just be jealous if she found out any of this. It wasn't even like they were all that close yet, it was still developing. But the event flags had been triggered. Things were accelerating. At times, Konata wondered if Kagami was picking up on any of it, but she never said anything. It was just a look she'd sometimes give the two of them, like she was trying to read what was going on. Konata wasn't quite sure what to do if Kagami found out about this on her own..._

_And her dad? Konata knew she couldn't tell him. He was still so overprotective of her, he didn't even like any mention of the word "boyfriend." No need to upset him, either. So she'd just keep it low. She'd told Jason that's what she would do, and he was fine with it._

_____Besides, once he went back to Vermont, it wasn't like they could keep in touch as easily. Their relationship didn't have much of a chance to get too serious. Not that Konata didn't plan to make the most of this while she could. It was too much fun. It was even better than a dating sim, it was real and there was so much more to it than a game could ever have._  


_Maybe she would visit America sometime. She didn't have a clue how the exchange program worked, but she liked to imagine that she'd be able to cram some English and maybe take a year there. The schools sounded fun. Especially the no-uniform thing. And she liked the American versions of Valentine's Day and Christmas a whole lot more._

_This was exactly the kind of scenario that would happen in a game or something like that. It was good that she'd gotten to experience this before her high school career ended and she was forced into the real world. No matter how long this lasted, or what the outcome was, she knew she'd never forget_

about this one. Just another object she recognized on the floor several stories up. It didn't look like much, just a basic handgun like the kind that might exist in her own time and universe. That's why she'd used this model. It was so unassuming.

"This is..." Konata stared at it.

"What is it, Konata-san?" Miyuki asked.

Konata looked up at her. "This is the murder weapon from when I left home."

"Y-you mean this is the one that you..." Tsukasa said. "How did all of these things get here?"

"I don't even remember what I did with this. I got rid of it pretty quick. I didn't want to hang onto it..." Konata said. It had only been three or four days into her assignment in Fire Emblem that she'd decided to just ditch the thing somewhere, and she couldn't even remember the universe where she'd thrown it away.

"They were looking all over for someone who had a gun like this," Kagami said. "The wounds on your body... or whatever that thing was... that was the only real evidence they ever had."

"Did they ever arrest anyone for it?" Konata asked.

"Nope. Yui told me once that they had a few suspects, but there wasn't enough to convict any of them."

"We really thought the worst. Everyone was certain there was a serial killer out there somewhere," Miyuki said. "I was scared to leave home, except to go to school. After I heard what happened to you, it seemed like it could happen to anyone."

And really it had just been Konata the entire time. She was the "murderer" everyone had been afraid of. Since, for some reason, she hadn't wanted to keep on living in her own universe. Sure, having to live a double life had been taxing on her energy, but that seemed like such a lame excuse now. She'd only made everything worse for everyone.

Nobody touched the gun, nobody wanted to pick it up and examine it. Konata recognized the model well enough. There was no proof that this was even the exact same one she'd used, but she didn't doubt it was. Not after all the other things they'd seen. There was something strange about this Tower, alright...

"How far up do you think we are?" Konata said suddenly. "It can't be that much farther to the top of this thing. Don't stop now!" The sooner they were away from this room, the better. The sensations she got from each level were a bit different, but this one was the most negative of them all.

As they headed to the next flight of stairs - nineteen steps, it was _always _nineteen - Miyuki stared out through one of the windows set into the outer wall. Her eyes moved down to judge a rough estimate of the distance to the ground.

"Goodness, I didn't think that this tower could be that high... Is this even possible?"

"I'm sure it is," Konata said. This wasn't just a regular building, and no matter what it looked like, it wasn't just made of these dark stone bricks. There was a lot more to it than that. It could be as high as it wanted. But she wouldn't tell the others, not when Tsukasa already seemed exhausted.

A tattered flag bearing the insignia of the Crimean army. Her black school uniform from Gekkokan, back when she'd been Murakami Emiri. An Evoker, the pistol-looking thing that she used to summon her Persona. Appropriately enough, the floor above that just had a tarot card, creased and slightly dirty. The Star. That had been the Arcana for Pandora, but the card _itself..._ Was that the one they'd found at the Waystation? Wait... there was something about that world, the desert, the caves, and Tull...

Then, several floors later, there was a photograph. A picture that had been taken of all four of them in front of a building somewhere, wearing the red winter uniforms and smiling. A yellow building, with a silver plate over the glass doors. Diamond-shaped grates covered an air-conditioning unit. Konata recognized this building well; she'd know it anywhere. The Kyoto Animation headquarters.

"That's strange. I don't remember going to Kyoto with you, Konata-san," Miyuki said. She held the photo in her hands, and stared at it. "Of course, we went there on our senior class trip, but that was after you..." Her voice trailed off. She didn't need to finish the sentence, they all knew what she meant.

"Right..." Konata said. She was feeling a sharp pang of regret. "I remember..." She hesitated, realizing how strange it sounded. "I remember seeing the episode of our show where we all went on the trip together. I was kind of looking forward to going, but I decided I'd rather just leave for my... new life."

"It was a good trip," Tsukasa agreed. "I wish you could've been there. I missed you so much..."

"But if it never happened the way it was meant to, how can the picture exist? It could never have been taken," Miyuki said.

"No... It still could have," Kagami said. "I mean, the four of us aren't the only... four of us, I guess. There's other versions of our world. I'm sure there's a world out there where nothing went wrong. Right?"

Konata nodded. She remembered what Kagami had said about the last world she'd been in before ending up in New York. The other version of Lucky Star. Their personalities had all been different, but that was just one world out of millions and millions where they must exist, in countless variations. There must be one where they were all just

_ordinary high school students. Konata equated that with being a prime target for some kind of strange event, or being a target for some kind of interesting plot to form. But there was no romance. No supernatural events. Not much worth writing home about - or writing a manga about, either._

___Still, Konata had the perfect otaku lifestyle and she loved it. She had a job at a cosplay cafe to handle all the expenses, and she bought just about as many doujinshi as she could carry each time Comiket came around. There was no pressure to join any after-school clubs, and her grades always pulled through, so that left a lot of free time to enjoy all her hobbies. And then there were the friends she'd managed to make since coming to high school._  


_It hadn't even taken her that long to meet them. She'd known them since early in her first year, in fact. Two unique flavors of moe, and an absolutely ideal model of a tsundere. Kagami may deny it, but she was a perfect fit for that label. Right down to the hairstyle, in fact. And Miyuki, well... Nothing needed to be said about Miyuki. Flawless in every way. A perfect body with just the right amount of clumsiness._

_But no romance. In fact, after nearly three years of high school, none of them had ever had a boyfriend. Things didn't always work out the way they did in dating sims, she supposed._

_Oh, well. If there was nothing interesting going on in her high school career, at the very least Konata had a lot of freedom and very few worries. Who knew what she was going to do after she graduated, since there were virtually no careers that she felt motivated to pursue... But that was still in the future. Just like cramming for a test at the last minute, she'd deal with that issue later._

_Kagami always told her about how she should put more effort into her studies, but she just didn't see the point. Science, math, history... none of it was interesting to her. And when it wasn't interesting, she just couldn't focus on it. It was practically impossible._

_Something about tests, though, could motivate her enough. She had perfected the delicate art of the all-night cram session to a point where she could go over everything she missed during her in-class naps and pull through with an A or a B on the test, thereby saving her grade. Maybe it was the only way she was staying in school._

_Maybe she got it from her dad. He was just as much of a slacker as she was. Since her mom had died so many years ago, she'd never had much of a responsible parental figure in her life. That could've changed things._

_But why concern herself with that? __For now, everything was perfect. She'd really not have it any other way. All she wanted to was continue_

on, up to the next floor. The end had to come soon. The tarot card was from just a few days ago, there couldn't be much more left.

"We really need to find out where all of these came from," Miyuki said. "Wouldn't it suggest that someone was waiting for us?"

It wasn't something Konata liked to consider. She still didn't see the purpose of all these random little things. All they did were bring back memories, some of them much less pleasant than others. And that photograph was especially weird - it wasn't even from her life, technically. All it did was remind her how much she wanted to be done with this...

Up nineteen more steps. Konata paused for just a moment to check out the window and saw the dizzying height that they had reached. It would be hard to believe that they had gone up so far, but nothing was hard to believe right now. She reached a landing, with yet another door.

They'd all been expecting this eventually.

Haruhi turned at the sound of the door opening. Konata's eyes met hers. Konata found she couldn't say anything. What was there to say? She didn't look like she was in any trouble, in fact, it was as if she was annoyed that someone had barged into her private room. This one had windows set into the walls, and the balcony was here overlooking all the roses. It was brighter than the other rooms had been with the sunlight coming in.

"You... You're not Flagg..." Haruhi said. She was dressed in her school uniform. That and the yellow hair ribbon made her recognizable.

"Who?" Konata managed to say, as awkward as it was. This wasn't really how she imagined her first meeting with her favorite character would go. She stepped into the room, which had no furniture. "No, we're not... Um... What are you doing here, Haruhi?"

"How do you know my name?" Haruhi seemed to be examining them, but she kept her distance at the opposite side of the circular room. Her tone had become accusatory, and she pointed a finger at them. "You couldn't be the ones he was talking about... Who are you? Why are you here?"

Konata figured her best bet was to get Haruhi's attention, and the best way to do that would be... "My name is Izumi Konata. These are Kagami, Miyuki, and Tsukasa... I guess I'm what you'd call a slider."

As she hoped, Haruhi's interest piqued at the mention. "You're from a different universe? What are you here for, anyway? If you're... Then..." She seemed to be thinking quicker than the words were coming to her. "You know about my power?"

"You know about that?" Kagami blurted out. "I mean... You're not supposed to..."

"Flagg told me everything about it." She kept on mentioning that name. It must be whoever brought her here, but... Well, of course she would've come willingly. It was Haruhi's most basic nature to go with someone if they were from a different universe, especially if he had proved it by bringing her here. "Don't act so shocked. I'm in complete control of it. I'm supposed to be making sure the Tower isn't destroyed. He said that the world would end if it fell. Actually, he said _all_ the worlds would be destroyed."

"So you're not in any danger?" Konata said.

"Why would I be?" Haruhi said. "Um... Konata, was it? It's great that you came to find me, but I need to stay here."

"That's odd..." Miyuki said. "I thought that Nagato said that if Suzumiya-san ever learned about her power, there was a high risk of destructive energy being released. At least, her explanation went something like that..."

"Wait... You don't mean Yuki, do you? How come she knows about it? She never told me anything!"

"Flagg never told you that your entire Brigade knows about your power?" Konata said.

"No... Actually, he said they were all normal and that I was better off just leaving them behind," Haruhi said. "You're saying that all of them know about me?" The surprise in her voice was genuine.

"Of course. And they were traveling with us until just recently," Konata said. "Nagato's an alien. Asahina's from the future, and Koizumi is from an organization of espers. It's all because you wanted them to be."

"Didn't Kyon try to tell you about it once?" Kagami asked. "I mean, I think I remember..."

"You're right... That wasn't too long ago, he _did_ mention that - "

Without warning, the door behind them creaked open. A voice said, "So you've already arrived. You're just in time."

The man was dressed in a denim jacket and worn leather boots. His black hair hung down to his shoulders. His eyes were fixed on Konata, not in a menacing way but as if he'd been expecting to see her and was pleased at her arrival.

"You know them, Flagg?" Haruhi asked him.

"Indeed I do," he said. "In fact, I've been looking for Konata in particular. I'd be so grateful if you could offer your help. We need all we can get."

"What do you mean?" Konata asked. "I don't understand what all of this means."

"Haruhi and I arrived here just a couple days ago. Before we took control of the Tower, there was another person here," he said. "The Crimson King. And if we hadn't shown up when he did, the entire Tower would've fallen. And, Konata, maybe you've already felt it. Do you know what would happen if the Tower fell?"

She did. A thousand worlds dying at once. She could see that eye emblazoned on the side of that building, watching over just one such world. "It would have been the end of all worlds. There would've been nothing left."

"Right. This Tower is the pillar of all existence. And obviously we couldn't let it fall. He'd already done so much damage that it would be hard to reverse it without the help of someone special. Like Haruhi... or yourself. Surely you know what you are by now."

"She's...?" Haruhi could barely form the words. "You said there weren't any others like me!"

"I'm... sorry," Flagg said. "I couldn't risk getting your hopes up in case it didn't go as planned. This is such a delicate situation that I wasn't even sure she would be able to make it here."

"You're probably right about that," Konata agreed. "We've been on the run lately. It seemed like we might not ever find a way out."

Konata was sure that she'd seen Flagg before. Why couldn't she place it? There was something about his face, and his entire manner. Where had it been, and when?

"I had originally planned to bring both of you here. That was until a few days ago, when you went missing, Konata. It was also around that time that I realized the Crimson King was about to finish what he'd started, and I had to act quickly," Flagg said. "There was no time to explain anything, we had to move immediately. I guess you ended up finding out she was gone, and you came to look for her?"

All this time... She'd assumed that if Haruhi was gone from her world, something must be wrong. That had been partly true, but Haruhi wasn't the problem. She was the solution. They'd had it wrong the whole time.

He continued speaking, not needing an answer from her. "So you understand now. You're probably the two most important people in all of existence right now, and it all depends on you. We'll find a way to stop the damage that's still being done to the Tower, and restore everything that's already been done. We don't have much of a choice at this point."

Haruhi nodded. "I was going to tell you once you got back, it was just recently. Something else happened. I'm not sure what. The Tower got even weaker."

Lines of concern appeared on Flagg's brow. "Not good at all... I thought you would be able to handle this alone, and you've done brilliantly so far. But it looks like we need someone else. You arrived just in time, Konata."

"What about us?" Kagami said. "What do you expect us to do?"

"You three have been though a lot lately, but it should be easy for Konata to find you a way back home," Flagg replied. "I'm sure you'd be grateful for that. However, she and Haruhi should stay here just a while longer."

Konata thought about it. She looked over at the others, then to Haruhi.

"You guys can go on ahead, then," she said. Her head was spinning, she could hardly believe this. "I guess this is just what I need to do."

"What do you mean?" Tsukasa said. "You said you were going to go back with us! We were going to have a normal life again, or at least we'd try to..."

"I will. It's just... We knew something was going wrong back when we started this, and I knew I'd have to fix whatever it was. This is it. I have to do this, otherwise we might not even _have_ a home world to go back to. Don't you understand that? Haruhi was never in trouble."

"Eclipse..." Miyuki said suddenly, contemplatively. "They were looking for us. We still don't know what they want."

"And, believe me, I've tried to figure it out," Flagg said. "It seems you know about what you're capable of now, Konata. Eclipse was only using you, and what they wanted I can't be sure of... With power like yours, all kinds of destruction would be possible. Who knows how many worlds they would eliminate, just to cut down everything to a more manageable size? What I want isn't total destruction, it's simply control. You'll be in control too, Konata. The three of us."

Konata's mind was working. It didn't seem right, yet... Eclipse had taken away her membership and left her stranded in Haruhi's world, without much explanation. And Miyuki said that they were all on a wanted list. But Eclipse also tried to protect the balance, she had _saved_ people when she worked for them.

There were too many worlds to protect all of them, though. So if they did 'eliminate' enough of them... They _could_ protect a couple hundred, or maybe a few thousand. They'd say it was for the best.

"If we take this Tower, then it'll all be under our control. We can get rid of threats with a wave of the hand, and create new worlds however we want. Doesn't that seem like a much better solution?"

"You're right..." Konata mumbled. She could see other worlds in her mind right now, and she could feel the space available for her to reach out and affect them. Any world she wanted, really. This might as well be the control room for all existence, and she and Haruhi were the keys to operate it. She could finally put all this power to good use, there was now an important reason for her to have it. She looked over at the others. "Um... I really am sorry about this, guys. But... it's just the last thing that needs to be done."

Flagg smiled. "You made the right decision, Konata. I'm willing to let you have a second chance."

Wait... second chance... So she _had_ met him before... And now the details were coming back to her. As vivid as the first time that she'd experienced it as a dream. The pink petals shriveling as they fell off the trees, the clouds moving over the sky turning everything below them dark and grey, and the pair of burning red eyes in a featureless face covered in shadows, attached to a figure wearing worn-down boots...

And then she'd seen him again as her consciousness had faded, after releasing all that power to restore her world after the attack. The details of that had grown so hazy that she'd nearly forgotten them, but now they all came back in a rush.

In a single quick motion, she raised her blade, a meter-long line of flames, to point at him. "I'm just wondering, what's your plan after we restore the Tower? What are you going to do then?"

"Konata? What's going on?" Haruhi stared at her in shock, though she couldn't hide how impressed she was at Konata's weapon.

"Rendor Forsythe, right?" Konata said.

He lowered his head and gave a small laugh. "You recognize me... It's just one of my many names."

"You were already the most powerful person in all existence when you were in charge of Eclipse. You're just trying to move up, aren't you?"

"In basic terms, yes," he replied. He raised his face to look her in the eye, and she couldn't remember if his eyes had been that color before or if she was just imagining it now that she remembered how he had appeared to her before. "Put that away, Konata. It won't do you any good here."

Nobody moved.

"Whatever you may believe, the Tower truly is in danger. You could still help us restore it, and nobody would be hurt. Of course, if you still want to say no, then..." Flagg was grinning. "What happened to your world was nothing. Just imagine what could happen."

"It was _you?_" Konata said.

"What's he talking about?" Haruhi demanded, but nobody acknowledged her.

"You've already figured out that I was Forsythe the entire time. You needed that extra push to activate your full potential, and I gave it to you. And weren't you able to use that to set everything right again?"

"You were willing to put thousands of lives at risk so that I'd have the potential you wanted."

"And even if you hadn't been able to repair those damages, what then? It was a small price. You of all people should know how much that counts for in the grand scheme of things. You should be grateful. Look at what you can have _now._"

"No... This isn't right. I won't do this."

"What did you do to her world? You said we were trying to save the world!" Haruhi said.

"I never said this would be easy, Haruhi. Sacrifices have to be made. Everything will be worth it at the end."

Haruhi shook her head. "No... This isn't what you said. What else have you been lying about?"

He was still smiling. "You'd really trust them over me. Wasn't I the first one to tell you the truth? Without me, you'd never have learned about what you really are. You would have lived out the rest of your boring, ordinary life never becoming anything more than just another face in the crowd."

"Haruhi... You just need to trust me on this," Konata said. "We can't let him take control."

"I... don't know..."

It had to be done, and Haruhi just seemed to confused now to do anything about it. Konata rushed forward, stabbing the blade directly into Flagg's chest - but he didn't bleed, and the fire didn't seem to burn him. He seemed barely surprised by it. She heard Miyuki let out a gasp. It made her temporarily aware that her friends, the people who she always wanted to keep safely in her own normal, safe world were here with her. But that awareness only lasted a second. In the intensity of that moment, it seemed to only be the two of them. Everything and everyone else seemed to fade away.

"So that's the way it's going to be," he said. "I expected more from you."

"I think you underestimate how powerful your Tower really is. But maybe you were right... There's just a few things that I need to use its power to change. Starting with you."

"Are you sure this is what you want? Think of what I could give you. I'm willing to let you have as much as you want, if you only give me what I need."

She met his eyes for just a moment. His red eyes stared into her, and she believed what he said. He knew something about what could be done with the Tower, if she did just go along with him -

_She could be the most powerful being in any universe if she stayed here. Everything could go according to her design. She'd quite literally become a god if she wanted to - she already had power, but this could focus it into a precise direction. She could shape reality consciously. Maybe even more than a god. The ultimate reward. Limitless in what was possible, with no boundaries of what she should or shouldn't do, only what she wanted._

Concentrating hard on everything else she could think of, everything out there that she really wanted, she drove the sword in up to the hilt.

And, as if he had never been there, he was gone.

It was marked with a long silence, and Konata still stood in place with her sword piercing through the empty air. Her breathing was heavy, and her heart was pounding in her chest. Finally, realizing that it was over, she stood up straight, and lowered her blade towards the floor. She stared straight ahead.

"I can't believe you actually did that..." Kagami said softly. "What about all those things he said?"

"But now... what happens?" Haruhi said. "I still don't know if that was the right thing to do..."

Konata stared at the ceiling. Then she shook her head. "I don't feel like anyone was ever supposed to be in charge of this thing. Not him, or anyone. Eclipse always said we were supposed to protect the balance, and I always thought that meant everything's supposed to go on its own will. The way it was all intended to be." She paused. "Besides, controlling the entire multiverse sounds like a lot of responsibility. I don't think I'm up to it."

Konata put her sword away, and as the flames were extinguished it became very dark. The sun had set now, and the sky outside the windows was a dark blue filled with thousands of stars. Everything seemed very still.

"So what happens now?" Kagami said. "This is the end, isn't it? We did what we were supposed to."

"Right," Konata said. She looked over to Haruhi. "So do you have any idea what's at the top of this Tower?"

"No," Haruhi replied. "I've never gone up there... I don't know, I just never wanted to. Do you think something important might be up there?"

"I've played a lot of video games. If you make it all the way to the top of a tower like this, there will be something significant at the top. It's just how things work," Konata said.

"I just want to be home..." Tsukasa's voice was tired.

"No time to waste, then," Konata said. "It's not like anything is holding us back."

She opened the door to the next flight of steps, which looked so ordinary and so much like the others. But even so, she knew the top floor couldn't be that far off.

"Let's finish this."


	40. Eclipse

Konata had been waiting so long...

Finally, she just couldn't take the anticipation anymore. She had to do something.

"So? What'd you think?"

Konata had been watching Yasaka Kou as she read the pages Konata had put together so far. It was nerve-wracking, but in a good way. She hadn't been sure at first, but it looked like joining the Manga Research Society at school had turned out to be a good idea. Konata had found out she could be a decent manga artist if she put her mind to it.

"This is an action story?" Kou said. She didn't look up. "I wasn't really sure what to expect from you. Knowing the kind of games you played, I thought it might be a romance, or something..."

"Did you like it?"

"Yeah. This is good. Really good, actually, and your characters were great. I just didn't expect you to do an action story like that. It's really different than what Hiyori's been working on."

"But the great part is that it has a bit of everything. There's action, but I also had some slice-of-life kind of stuff in there, and some drama - "

"It's a lot better than I was expecting, really. Just make sure you get it finished in time for Comiket, alright?" She handed the papers back to Konata with a grin.

Deadlines... Konata let out a sigh as she filed them back into her portfolio. This wasn't all fun and games. If she wanted to do this, she'd have to get a schedule planned out, and lose a bit of the freedom she enjoyed. She'd have to stick to a _routine._

But on the bright side... Kou had liked her manga.

"Alright. I should have the next chapter done in..." Konata didn't want to make any promises, so she finished the sentence with: "...at least a month?"

"Try two weeks, tops. Less, if you can," Kou replied with her eyes narrowed.

"Three weeks. You can't rush art," Konata said.

Kou hesitated for a moment, then surrendered. "Fine. But only because this was good."

"Alright. Thanks," Konata replied. She glanced at the clock on the classroom wall. "Oh, I better get going. There's not much time left for lunch, is there?"

She headed back to the senior classrooms with a grin on her face. She had a real sense of accomplishment from this. And, come January, maybe people would actually buy this and _read_ it. That was still a few months away, though.

Konata was one of those people who truly enjoyed their lifestyle.

* * *

Chapter 40

The Sun Is Eclipsed By The Moon

* * *

When she slid open the door to the classroom, she found Kagami had already come over from her class to join them for lunch. All three of them seated around the table looked up as she strolled in.

"Hey. Where've you been?" she said.

"Oh, I just had to visit someone," Konata said. "Did I mention I joined the Manga Research Club? I'm writing my own manga now. Kou-chan thinks that I'm a very talented artist."

"Wha... When did this start?" Kagami said.

Konata pulled up a chair and sat down casually. "Oh, I've just been working on some stuff in my free time. Want to see it?"

She didn't even wait for anyone to say "yes" or "no" before she whipped out her new artist's portfolio and pulled out the pages for her first chapter. She had a cover sketch that she'd colored in, while the rest of the pages were in shaded pencil sketch. She flipped through them, making sure they were all in the right order.

"Wow... This is unexpected, to say the least... So when have you had time to do this? I thought you were busy with your job down at the cafe." Kagami stared at the full-page illustration on top. "That's incredible... I can even read your handwriting."

Konata ignored what was probably intended as a veiled insult.

"How long have you been working on that, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa said. "You never told us anything about it."

"Oh, I've been doing some character sketches for a while now, and figuring out the basic plot. I didn't want to say much until I was sure I was serious about starting it," Konata replied. She was watching Kagami's expression out of the corner of her eye, trying to discern her thoughts from her facial expression. "It's about these high school students who can go to alternate universes."

"I'd like to see it too, if you don't mind," Miyuki said. "It sounds quite interesting."

"All I have finished so far is just the first chapter. I don't know when I'll find the time to get another one finished."

"Wait a sec..." Kagami said. She squinted at the page she was holding, then flipped the pages back to examine the cover. "This character is supposed to be me, isn't it?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Konata said innocently.

"You based all these characters on us, didn't you? Kaori's supposed to be me, just with purple hair..."

"Well, umm... I was just trying to make a good tsundere character, and you inspire me so much, Kagami! Besides, twin ponytails is basically a requirement for characters like that, I couldn't give her any other hairstyle..."

Kagami sighed. She looked back at Konata's illustration of the girl brandishing her dual revolvers. It had become blatantly obvious this was based off of her (personality-wise, at least) within about five pages. By the time her twin sister Sachiko had shown up, it just gave it away. What kind of weird fantasies were going through Konata's mind?

"It's not like anyone's going to recognize you..."

Reviewing the last few pages, Kagami said, "And Murakami Emiri's the main character, right?"

"Well, maybe she's based a _little_ bit off of myself..."

"I didn't ask if she was." Kagami gave a sly grin. "Interesting design for... let's see..." She scanned the page, trying to find the name. "Hiromi. Those glasses, and... pink hair?" She looked up at Miyuki. "I don't really see it, but... okay."

Konata frowned. "Hey, a lot of artists do this kind of thing... They say you're supposed to write what you know, don't they?"

"May I see it?" Miyuki asked. Kagami handed the stack of papers to her. She pushed up her glasses and began reading.

Konata was completely unsure what Miyuki would think, since she didn't even read regular manga. But she had a smile across her face. Actually, what was there to be nervous about? Miyuki couldn't say anything negative, it was practically impossible for her. Maybe that was good _and_ bad.

"I think it's quite wonderful. Um... your characters are supposed to be in high school?" Miyuki said finally.

"Yeah. My style makes them look a little young, but they're actually our age."

"Of course..." Kagami muttered.

"You drew all of these, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa was reading over Miyuki's shoulder, eager to see what they were all talking about. "When did you learn to draw?"

"I just kind of picked it up, really. I started sketching a few characters once, and it just kind of turned out looking good..."

"This is quite an interesting story, as well," Miyuki said. "Where did you come up with this?"

"Well, um... I'm not sure. I guess the alternate universe angle seemed like a good way to open it up to a lot of different plots. I actually haven't decided how long the story's going to be once I'm done," Konata said.

And already she was getting ideas on what to do next. Maybe she'd add something about vampires or some other supernatural element. She might do a few chapters in space, in some universe where people lived on Mars or something. The concept left the possibilities wide open.

The bell rang and snapped her out of her daydreams. Miyuki handed the papers back to her, and Konata carefully slid them into her portfolio. She'd get started on the next chapter... tomorrow, maybe.

* * *

"Hey, Miyuki, do you think you could show me how to do these problems?"

School had just ended for the day, and Konata had remembered that she wanted to ask Miyuki for help with something. She pulled out a sheet of math problems and watched over Miyuki's shoulder as she read them.

"No way. You're actually copying off Miyuki? That's _really_ low," Kagami said. "My homework isn't good enough for you to copy anymore?"

"No, I need to figure out how to do these on my own," Konata replied. There didn't even seem to be a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"What...? What's with the sudden dedication?"

Miyuki finished looking them over. "Konata-san, I don't believe we're currently doing these in our class... Are you sure these are what you wanted my help with? It's not a mistake, is it?"

Konata nodded. "Yeah, there's, um... It's this new quiz game at the arcade. I always get beaten on these questions. So can you show me how they work?"

Kagami stared at her in shock, but Miyuki just smiled and nodded. She began going over the first of the math equations, and Konata listened attentively to each of the steps.

"So that's it..." Konata said. "Thanks! I think I understand..."

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Kagami asked. It was incredible how little Konata cared about academics, and then all of a sudden she'd get an interest in something because of an anime she had just seen or a game that she'd been playing. The only reason her grades were low was lack of motivation. Of course, she'd miraculously ace every test and keep herself from totally failing...

Was this girl really going to be eighteen in less than a week? That would mean she was an adult. _Legally_ she'd be an adult, at least. Konata would never truly be mature, it was against every part of her nature.

"If you ever took responsibility for anything, just once in your life - " Kagami said, but noticed Konata was ignoring her.

At least this manga might be a sign that she was willing to put some work into producing something. It would be a good lesson for her. Even if it was incredibly weird and awkward.

Nobody was going to recognize anyone in that story, she reassured herself. Nobody.

"You know, we're not doing anything tonight, so wanna come to my house for a while?" Konata suggested.

"That sounds fun," Tsukasa said.

"My apologies, I don't think I'll be able to make it today. I'm terribly sorry," Miyuki said.

"Nah, that's fine," Konata said. "Maybe some other day we could go back to your house. That was fun when we visited."

Kagami and Tsukasa packed up their books, while Konata just had her portfolio with her. There wasn't schoolwork in it, of course, just her latest hobby. They were headed out the front door of the school when they were interrupted.

"Konata-senpai!"

Hiyori came up to her on the way out, carrying her notebook and a folder under one arm. Konata turned around and saw her.

"Hey. What's up?"

"I heard you joined the club! Kou said you had some pretty good material," Hiyori said.

Konata scratched the back of her head in a gesture of modesty. "Did she, now? Looks like I'm already getting a reputation. Anyways, how're things going for you?"

Hiyori's smile vanished. "Not too good. I've got a bad case of writer's block again..."

"Hmm... I think Yutaka was saying she was going to go somewhere after school with Minami-chan. They probably haven't left yet. Why don't you join them? It might be good for you."

Hiyori could hear it in Konata's voice. "Wh-what do you mean by that?" she asked, but knew exactly what Konata was talking about.

"I've read your manga. It's obvious," Konata said. She raised a hand before Hiyori could say anything else. "Don't worry, I know how it is. I won't judge you."

"What are you talking about, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa stared at the two of them blankly.

"Nothing. Just some club business," Konata replied nonchalantly. "Hm... I feel like stopping by Gamers real quick before we go home. Is that fine with you?"

* * *

"Are you sure you need to buy more stuff?" Kagami said. "Weren't you saying something a few days ago about having a lot that had piled up?"

She and Tsukasa were tagging along behind Konata as she hunted around the store with an expert's eye. It was really odd the way she did this. The store clerks had never gotten accustomed to how Konata shopped, always reacting with surprise whenever she came to the counter with a huge stack of fifteen copies or so of the same book. But today Konata hadn't picked up even a single copy of anything.

"Yeah. I just thought I'd look around, and..." Konata suddenly stopped and snatched up a book. "Volume 7? It's out already?"

"I'd think you'd be especially busy with your new project," Kagami said. "You're going to try to fit everything in, aren't you?"

"Whatever. It's not like I need to sleep or anything." Coming from anyone else, that might have sounded like a joke. "But this can't wait. You've gotta buy it now or else you might not find it later. It's all part of the game." Konata lifted up the pile to select one in the middle of the stack, and squinted at the cover and flipped through the pages. "This one looks good..."

"Only getting one this time?"

"I'm a little strapped for cash at the moment."

Kagami considered saying something about saving money when you were low, but it wasn't like Konata was going to change her mind. Not when she had it in her hand, from that moment she had already made a final decision. And she wasn't done yet, she was still going down the rows looking for something else to buy.

"Speaking of which, I was wondering if you could help me with something." Konata spoke without turning around.

"What do you mean, Kona-chan?" Tsukasa asked.

"Actually, if _you_ could do it, Tsukasa..." The gears were turning. "I'm going to need someone to man the booth at Comiket in January. Are you up for it?"

"C-Comiket?" Tsukasa had turned pale at the mention.

"You know as well as I do that nothing can get her to go back _there,_" Kagami said.

Who could forget last time they'd gone? On New Year's Eve, every otaku in Japan seemed to leave the shelter of their homes to gather at this festival. It had been just a tad too much for Tsukasa to deal with... Actually, it had taken Konata and Kagami nearly two hours to find her after they were supposed to have met. A total disaster. That night at the shrine had been difficult too after the chaos earlier in the day.

"As long as she stays at the booth, she won't get lost. This is my first time actually _selling_ something there," Konata said. She had picked up a manga, and was reading the first couple of pages. "Kagami and I will pick up the stuff on my shopping list, and then we'll meet back there. If we stick to the plan, nothing will go wrong. Second time's the charm."

Apparently that settled the matter in her mind, and Kagami didn't feel like arguing about it right now. Besides, it wasn't until January. Konata chose two other books before she went to the counter to check out. After that they headed towards the train to Saitama.

* * *

"Wait, so last night you actually went out there in that storm?" Kagami said. "Why did you do a thing like that?"

"I thought it would be fun," Konata replied, shrugging. "In anime, and even in movies, you always see these dramatic scenes taking place in the rain, and it never seems to bother the characters. Truth is, it's hard to ignore it even if you try. All you want to do is run and get inside where it's warm. I probably won't do it again."

They were headed back to Konata's house after the quick stop at Gamers. Everything had dried up since last night, but she still remembered coming down this stretch of sidewalk in a run with her head down once the downpour had really started. It had been a big one - the lightning was bright enough that it lit up the whole street like daylight. It was the kind of thing you only saw in anime, and was a bit terrifying in real life.

"It was so loud I could hardly get to sleep last night," Tsukasa said. "I'm surprised you didn't catch a cold, if you were out in the rain..."

"I've always been pretty healthy. I guess I just don't get sick easily," Konata said. "What a shame, I could really use those days off of school..."

"You don't work hard enough as it is," Kagami said, but Konata just gave a sly grin in response.

They kept on talking as they turned the next corner and headed down a few more blocks. The distance from the train station to her house didn't seem nearly as far on a bright spring day like this. It had been at least two miles longer last night. Now they were here.

"Oh, Konata, you're back from school already?" Her mother was headed in the direction they were coming from. "And I see Kagami and Tsukasa came over, too. It's good to see both of you."

Kanata's smile was one of the few things that distinguished her from her daughter. Mainly because when she smiled, you never got the feeling that she was up to something. Their personalities were total opposites, but in terms of physical appearance they were nearly identical.

"We were just coming over to play for a while," Tsukasa said.

"That's fine, Tsukasa-chan. So how was your day?" Kanata asked.

"Great," Konata replied. "Oh, right, I joined the Manga Research Club, so I'm going to be staying after school a couple days a week."

Kanata seemed surprised. "You joined a club? That's good, but... I didn't think you had any interest in them. I'm glad you found one you liked. You should tell your father, it sounds like something he'd be interested in."

"I didn't believe it until I saw it. I didn't think she had it in her..." Kagami said. She still had her doubts, and wondered how long it would last, but didn't say anything.

"What were you headed out for, anyways?" Konata said.

"I was just heading out to the store for a few things. Can you think of anything we need?" Kanata asked.

"Hmm... I think I'm pretty good right now. Thanks!"

They said goodbye and Kanata headed off towards the train.

* * *

Back in Konata's room, she'd placed the new manga she had bought on the shelf next to the rest of the series in an almost ceremonious fashion. Then it was back to the usual - playing games, watching someone else play a game, or reading whatever could be found in the room. She hated to admit it, but Kagami had found some really good series while picking random books off the shelf.

Right now, though, she was watching Konata as she tried to impress the school council treasurer, a shy-looking girl with glasses who blushed on nearly every other line of dialogue. Konata was strangely compelled by these kinds of games. Kagami didn't really see the appeal, but for some reason she couldn't explain she was watching anyways.

"Huh?" Konata suddenly stared at the screen in shock. "I hate it when these games do this..."

She'd tried to offer emotional support to this girl she was trying to go on a date with or something, but instead the girl had taken it the wrong way and thought she was being insulted.

"If they always made it the obvious choice, wouldn't the game be too easy? They have to make it challenging somehow," Kagami said.

Konata began looking for some opening to start patching things up after her mistake.

Tsukasa didn't say anything, instead remaining engrossed in the magazine she was reading. It was several months old, but still nowhere near the oldest one in here. Konata never threw any of her magazines out, it seemed. Especially the ones with serialized manga... But she bought all the compilation volumes anyway, so what was the point?

"You really play a lot of different kinds of games," Kagami commented. She nodded towards the stack of cases. "You've got these dating sims, which are pretty much all text and storyline, then you play fighting games which are completely opposite. Then there's everything in between."

"I've always liked variety," Konata said. She shrugged, and moved the on-screen cursor up and down as she contemplated two different choices. "If I get bored with one game, I can move on to a different one, then go back later."

"It doesn't really bode well for how you deal with commitment..."

"I guess the same thing goes for anime and manga, too. I like a lot of different stuff. Maybe it has something to do with my parents. They couldn't be more different, maybe I just got a combination of both their tastes."

"That's one way of looking at it," Kagami said. "But I didn't think your mom was into any of this stuff."

"Oh, my dad and I have introduced her to a few shows," Konata said. "I can think of a couple that she really seems to enjoy."

* * *

Later that night, Konata remembered to check her recordings. Yesterday they'd aired the new episode of Haruhi while she had been at work.

"Looks like it worked..." Konata looked around. "Hey, where's Yutaka? Did she go to bed already?"

"Yeah," Sojiro replied. He was seated on the sofa next to his wife. "She's really tired from last night. She was worried that something would happen to you... Why'd you go out there, anyway? We were _all_ worried about you. Why didn't you at least call us?"

Her memories of that night were a little hazy. She mostly remembered coming out of the cafe, waiting for a little while in a store somewhere, then coming out into a grey mess of wind and rain. "I... don't know. I'm really sorry about that."

"Konata, it's okay if you come home late when you get stuck somewhere like that. Just let us know," Kanata said.

"Sorry..."

"It's alright now. The important thing is that you're okay." Dropping the subject, she said, "So, did you want to watch your show?"

"Yeah! I've been looking forward to this one." Konata pushed her way in the middle of both her parents on the couch and started the recording.

Konata had been the first one to take an interest in this show. She couldn't explain what had originally drawn her to it, like there was some kind of connection she felt with the characters... And then the rest of her family had gotten into it. Even her mom looked forward to watching it with the rest of the family. You could call it the Izumi's unique way of family bonding.

It was obvious enough why her dad had taken an interest in this show, particularly the scenes with Asahina... As for Kanata, it seemed like she had just decided to watch one episode a few weeks ago to spend some time with the rest of them, and decided she liked the show too. Maybe it was the comedy in the daily lives of the characters, maybe she had just wanted to know who her daughter was dressing up as at work. Whatever it was, Konata liked that they all shared an interest in it.

This episode concluded the plot of the second one, with the murder mystery on the island. This had been a good storyline. Last week had been a pretty good beach episode with some good fanservice shots during the beach sequence and a cliffhanger ending. This episode was surprisingly dark compared to the rest of the series, up until the end, at least.

It was just before ten o'clock when they finished.

"Well, I think I'll turn in for the night," Konata said, giving a conspicuous yawn as she stood up.

"Don't stay up too late this time, alright?" Kanata knew enough about her daughter to know what "turn in for the night" meant - logging in online and playing until morning. "You should get some rest."

"Yeah..." Konata sighed. "Anyways, good night!"

She went to her room and slid the door closed. No need to have the lights on, the monitor was bright enough, as usual. Time to get started on another raid. Last time she'd been on, one of the enemies had dropped Laevateinn. She'd played at least three hours longer than usual after that. It was a rush.

Her character appeared in the central town area. She checked to see if her friends were on, and sent out a message.

**konakona: **ready to go?

**yamanka: **hey, kona! ^^ havent seen u in a while

**gatongo: **been busy? rofl

Konata smiled, and looked over towards her portfolio. Maybe in the next chapter she'd have her characters visit a world like the one in this game. Which reminded her, she'd been trying to convince Kagami and the others to try this game out.

**konakona: **a little bit, thought id come back 4 a visit

This was a Monday, so that meant... She did some quick working in her head. Yeah, she could spend all night playing if she wanted to. She'd been putting in a lot of time lately, she deserved a break.

An hour went by before she even realized it, along with several floors of this dungeon. Laevateinn was serving her well. It would be a long time before she found any weapons to replace it. The added fire damage was useful against enemies who resisted physical attacks. These goblins didn't stand a chance.

_"Hikaru kumo o tsukinuke, Fly Away!"_

The sound of her phone ringing nearly made her fall off her desk chair. That ringtone could only mean one thing. What time was it? And that meant... She thought she had the night off. What was going on?

She found her cell on one of the shelves, picking it up as it got to the first "Cha-La." She quickly flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Konata! Where the hell are you?"

"Um... What's going on?" She tried to sound sleepy and unaware of what was going on, although she was getting an idea.

"You're late! You were supposed to be here _five minutes ago!_ Don't you remember?"

That's right... She must have forgotten. She looked back at the screen forlornly, and prepared to log off.

**konakona: **sry guys, gtg

**yamanka: **?

**konakona: **forgot i had homework

"Yeah. The usual place, then?" Konata asked.

"You're treating us all to lunch when you get here. Make it quick, or else there's going to be additional penalties!"

"I'm on my way right now."

The person on the other end hung up without another word. Konata logged off, and sighed. There was most likely no such thing as a day off. Oh well. It wasn't like she needed one.

She changed into some weekend clothes - a red T-shirt over a long-sleeve black one, and some comfortable jeans. Then she picked up her wallet. It was already feeling light. If she had just been thinking about this even ten minutes ago, she probably could've avoided having to pay for everyone.

Oh well. She'd specifically requested this job, and she wasn't completely disappointed other than the fact that she never got to spend a quiet night at home.

There wasn't a single thing she'd change about her life.

* * *

**Author's Note: **40 chapters and nearly a year later, I'm finally finished! Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, especially to the few people who left regular reviews with each chapter. Those were a true help with motivation. Hope you enjoyed the story and particularly this final chapter, whatever you may take it to mean. Currently I have no plans for a sequel, but who knows? Maybe I'll pick this up again.

Special thanks to the original writers, artists, and other assorted staff of all of the assorted properties this story crossed over with:

Lucky Star

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Stephen King's The Stand/The Dark Tower

Castlevania

Fire Emblem

Gurren Lagann

Hellsing

Chrono Trigger

Cowboy Bebop

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Persona 3

Devil May Cry

Silent Hill

Mahou Sensei Negima

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

Fullmetal Alchemist

Code Geass

Rurouni Kenshin

Shakugan no Shana

I believe that's all of them... I highly recommend any of them if you aren't already familiar. Thanks again for reading, and be sure to recommend this to anyone you know who might be interested.

- Vossago


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